YouTube TV Drops FOX Regional Sports Networks, Including FOX Sports Southwest

Beginning October 1, YouTube TV subscribers will not have access to the FOX Regional Sports Networks.

Texas Rangers fans who are subscribed to YouTube TV may have to find a different way to watch their favorite baseball team next season.

Earlier this week, YouTube TV announced that after months of negotiations with Sinclair Broadcast Group, they are dropping the FOX Regional Sports Networks from their service beginning October 1. 

In February, YouTube TV and Sinclair agreed to an extension that ran through the end of the MLB, NBA, and NHL seasons. The over-the-top service announced the discontinuation in a Twitter thread, as well as in an email to all of their current subscribers. 

Now that the seasons are over, that extension is expiring. Starting October 1, 2020, FOX RSNs will no longer be available on YouTube TV. Members that are impacted will no longer have access to Library recordings from the FOX RSNs.

— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) September 29, 2020

Sinclair confirmed the news with Variety on Wednesday, where they also mentioned the hope of a new agreement to bring the FOX Regional Sports Networks back to YouTube TV.

“While we are disappointed that YouTube will discontinue carriage of the RSNs, we remain in discussions in an effort to find a mutually acceptable path to returning the RSNs to YouTube TV,” Barry Faber, Sinclair’s president of distribution and network relations.

The extension in February did not salvage all 21 of FOX's RSNs. FOX Sports Prime Ticket and FOX Sports West were not part of the extension, along with the YES Network in the greater New York area.

Now the remaining 19 FOX RSNs will no longer be available on YouTube TV unless a future deal is struck between YouTube TV and Sinclair. Those 19 networks are:

• FOX Sports Arizona
• FOX Sports Carolinas
• FOX Sports Detroit
• FOX Sports Florida
• FOX Sports Indiana
• FOX Sports Kansas City
• FOX Sports Midwest
• FOX Sports New Orleans
• FOX Sports North
• FOX Sports Ohio
• FOX Sportstime Ohio
• FOX Sports Oklahoma
• FOX Sports Prime Ticket 
• FOX Sports San Diego
• FOX Sports South
• FOX Sports Southeast
• FOX Sports Southwest
• FOX Sports Sun
• FOX Sports Tennessee
• FOX Sports Wisconsin

YouTube TV isn't the first television provider to cut ties with Sinclair. Dish Network dropped Sinclair networks from its satellite television service and Sling TV, its TV streaming service, back in July of last year. FuboTV hasn't had Sinclair networks since January.

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