As an Ohio native and a Buckeye fan since birth, I am filled with nerves and excitement at the start of every college football season. And I’m feeling all the feelings even more so this year with the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes opening the season against the preseason No. 1 Texas Longhorns and with a quarterback making his first college start. I’ll know a lot more about this year’s team after Saturday’s game — if I’m able to watch it.
Adding to my anxious feelings this week is the ominous email I received last night from YouTube TV informing me that I could be without all Fox channels as soon as tomorrow if Google and Fox are unable to renew their contact. If Fox gets pulled from Google-owned YouTube TV tomorrow, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for a post-deadline resolution before Saturday’s noon kickoff on Fox for the Texas-Ohio State game.
This contract dispute could also impact NFL fans. The first full day of NFL games on Fox — Sunday, Sept. 7 — is less than two weeks away.
Google and Fox dispute
Contract negotiations between networks and distributors regularly occur at this time of year with the start of the new NFL and college football seasons. Football commands huge audiences and networks often use the pressure to capture this viewership during the upcoming season as a firm deadline to work out new deals.
Here’s Google’s take on the negotiations (which you can read in this blog post):
Our current agreement with Fox is approaching its renewal date and we are in active and ongoing negotiations to continue carrying their content. Fox is asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive. Our priority is to reach a deal that reflects the value of their content and is fair for both sides without passing on additional costs to our subscribers.
We want to be transparent about these discussions: if we are unable to reach a new agreement by 5:00 PM ET on August 27, 2025, Fox channels including Fox Sports, Business, and News would become unavailable on YouTube TV. Content from these channels saved in your library would also become unavailable at this time.
Google stated that YouTube TV subscribers will receive a $10 credit “if Fox content becomes unavailable for an extended period of time.”
Other options for football fans to watch games on Fox
If Fox disappears from YouTube TV, you could switch to another live TV streaming service that carries Fox in your area. Fubo and Hulu with Live TV offer Fox in many markets as well as the rest of the channels needed for NFL and college football in their base package.
Hulu with Live TV costs the same as YouTube TV at $83 a month but lacks YouTube TV’s multiview feature that lets you watch up to four games at once. Fubo has multiview and costs $85 a month.
How to Watch NFL Games Without Cable in 2025
Another option is to sign up for Fox One, Fox’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service that costs $20 a month.
You could also use an over-the-air antenna to watch games on Fox and your other local stations. You’ll need to live in an area with good reception, but a good antenna costs as little as $30 and doesn’t require a monthly subscription.
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