UPDATE: YouTube TV vs. Fox Dispute Could Black Out Falcons' Opener

News broke on Monday that cable alternative YouTube TV and the FOX network of stations could be putting college football and NFL fans at risk of losing coverage of their favorite sports. This announcement, which was broken by Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal, came just days before the start of the 2025 college football season.

This network includes the likes of FOX, FS1, and the Big Ten Network, which could all be dropped from YouTube TV’s lineup if no formal agreement is reached.

According to the social media page for YouTube TV, the pair of media giants has reached a “short-term extension” to prevent a disruption of coverage.

“We’ve reached a short-term extension with Fox to avoid service disruption for YouTube TV subscribers while we work on a new agreement. We're committed to advocating on behalf of our members and will keep you posted on our progress,” YouTube TV said via their X account at 5:02 pm ET.

The blackout was originally scheduled to take effect at 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday, or just a mere 48 hours before the Auburn Tigers kick off their Week 1 showdown with the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas. Additionally, it would have impacted one of the premier games of the season, with Texas and Ohio State taking part in the weekly “Big Noon Kickoff.”

The Atlanta Falcons are not set to kick off their season until Sunday, September 7, but they are currently scheduled to have seven games set to broadcast on the FOX network, including their Week 1 showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With two of the Falcons’ first three games on FOX, fans in the Southeast could feel the impact immediately. Nationally, four games will be aired weekly during the 1 p.m. ET slate, with another two in the afternoon. This would impact the viewing ability for several divisional matchups and force fans to miss out on several games they usually care about the most.

YouTube TV said they are prepared to offer a $10 credit to its subscribers if content is impacted.

The full press release from YouTube TV, released on Monday, is below:

In order to provide you with the best in live sports, news, and entertainment, YouTube TV enters into partnerships with content providers like Fox. Our current agreement with Fox is approaching its renewal date, and we are in active negotiations to continue carrying their content. Our priority is to reach a deal that’s fair for both sides, as well as our subscribers.

We want to be transparent about these discussions: if we are unable to reach an agreement with Fox by August 27, 2025, their content may become unavailable. If this happens, this will impact channels like the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, and Fox Sports, as well as any Library recordings you have from these channels.

We know how frustrating it is to lose channels, which is why it’s our goal to keep Fox on YouTube TV. We’re committed to continuing to work with Fox to reach an agreement, but if their content becomes unavailable for an extended period of time, we'll offer our subscribers a $10 credit.

If Fox becomes unavailable, you can continue to watch their sports, news, and shows by signing up for Fox One. For more information on the impact to our Spanish Plus, 4K, Sports Plus, and Fox Nation add-ons, please visit our Help Center.

We hope YouTube TV continues to be your service of choice, but we understand some of our members may want to cancel their subscriptions. As always, family managers have the ability to pause or cancel anytime. ‌ Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to advocate on behalf of our subscribers and work towards an agreement with Fox. We will continue to update our Help Center with the latest. As always, we sincerely appreciate your YouTube TV membership.