Millions of late-night TV fans can breath a sigh of relief. Thanks to some last-minute negotiations, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers will continue to be available to YouTube TV subscribers.
Contract talks between NBCUniversal and Google seemed dead in the water last week, leading up to Tuesday's deadline to get a new deal. There was a very real possibility that the approximately 9 million YouTube TV subscribers would lose NBC, and with it, the chance to watch late-night favorites like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
However, a short-term deal was struck just in time. The initial deal between NBCU and Google was only temporary, according to a statement given to Deadline: "We’ve reached a short-term extension to avoid disruption to our service while we work toward a new agreement with NBCUniversal. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience while we negotiate on their behalf.”
That deal didn't exactly eliminate any fears for late-night fans. But good news came on Thursday night with the announcement of a new carriage deal between the two sides. NBC, among other NBCUniversal networks, will remain on YouTube TV. The timing couldn't be better with Saturday Night Live season 51 premiering on Saturday.
Late-night fans subscribed to YouTube TV can also access content through Peacock. The new deal included the news Peacock will become available as a YouTube Primetime Channel and through Google TV devices. The streaming service contains an extensive library of Saturday Night Live episodes and past content from shows like Late Night and The Tonight Show.
Then again, recent history has shown us that late-night shows can go off the air at any moment. In the past few months, the industry has been shocked by decisions from CBS and ABC regarding The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Instead of contract negotiations, it was political pressure behind those controversial moves.
For now, NBC seems to be avoiding those scandals and staying behind its late-night lineup. It will be interesting to see how Saturday Night Live navigates this new landscape when it returns for season 51 this weekend. Does the show keep its head down like The Tonight Show and play it safe? Or follow the lead of Late Night and go with business as usual when it comes to mocking politicians?
What we do know is that YouTube TV subscribers will be able to find out for themselves thanks to this new deal.