YouTube TV: Sinclair Deal Ends Dallas Sports Blackout

YouTube TV subscribers will now be able to watch Dallas teams’ games again. A new deal comes in time for the Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Subscribers of YouTube TV and fans of the Mavericks, Rangers, Stars and San Antonio Spurs, whose games are aired by Fox Sports Southwest, had been on the sidelines as YouTube had been negotiating a new agreement with Fox Regional Sports Networks and Yes Network. 

At the end of February, in a post on Twitter, YouTube TV said fans could still watch Fox RSNs and the Yes Network while the companies worked on an agreement. 

Yes Network, however, is now gone. Variety reported today that a deal is done, and it excluded Yes.

“YouTube TV says it has now reached an agreement with Sinclair, but one that excludes regional sports in ‘select areas’,” Fast Company reported.

“If your area is impacted by a channel loss, you’ll be notified in the YouTube TV app soon,” YouTube TV posted on Twitter. 

Fox Sports Southwest is on the list of channels that will remain as part of the new agreement. 

The rising cost of sports content creates challenges in carriage agreements, the Dallas Morning News reported recently. Fox Regional Sports Networks also have had disputes with DISH and SlingTV. 

Fox Sports Southwest is huge, with RSN exclusive local rights to 42 professional teams. The markets include Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, part of West Texas, Southern Texas, West Texas, Oklahoma, most of Arkansas, Southwest Missouri and New Orleans. 

Tip-off for the Mavs vs Grizzlies is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.