YouTube TV will carry C-SPAN‘s three channels on its base package starting this fall, a major break as the public affairs network grapples with consumers cutting their cable subscriptions.
C-SPAN also said that YouTube TV would sponsor the network’s coverage of America250 celebrations, and C-SPAN’s presence on YouTube will be boosted.
A C-SPAN spokesperson said that the channels also would be available on Hulu + Live TV.
The private, non profit network has been supported by license fees paid by cable and satellite companies since its launch in 1979, but those revenues have fallen as consumers have cut the cord. CEO Sam Feist has been seeking carriage on YouTube TV, the largest of the virtual MVPDs.
YouTube TV had previously said that their subscribers had not shown sufficient interest in C-SPAN to justify adding it. But CEO Sam Feist said that the cost to distributors has been just 7.25 cents per subscriber per month. Lawmakers, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have urged streaming to carry the networks.
In a statement, Feist said, “In addition to the main YouTube platform, we are excited to bring C-SPAN’s unfiltered, unbiased programming to YouTube TV’s growing streaming audience. For nearly half a century, C-SPAN has partnered with cable and satellite providers who recognize the value of our important public service. We now look forward to working closely with YouTube to bring C-SPAN’s unfiltered coverage of the democratic process to millions more Americans.”
Mary Ellen Coe, chief business officer of YouTube, said, “C-SPAN has long been a vital resource for civic engagement, and we look forward to partnering with them to both expand their footprint on YouTube and to celebrate America 250 together.”