C-SPAN’s three public affairs channels will be added to YouTube TV later this year as part of a new partnership between the nonprofit network and Google-owned YouTube.
The agreement, announced Wednesday, will bring C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 to YouTube TV’s base package. The launch expands access to the network’s political, public policy and cultural programming, while YouTube will also sponsor C-SPAN’s America 250 coverage, marking the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
“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,” Sam Feist, the Chief Executive Officer at C-SPAN, said in a statement e-mailed to The Desk on Wednesday. “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.”
C-SPAN was created in 1979 as a public service by the cable television industry. The network is privately funded and does not receive government money, with operations supported primarily through fees paid by cable, satellite and streaming companies.
The YouTube TV deal marks only the second time that C-SPAN’s multiplex has been offered on a streaming platform, and the first involving a major, standout streaming service. The first service to add C-SPAN on streaming was Level News, a now-defunct service that struck a unique liecnsing arrangement to distribute the political affairs network. DirecTV added two C-SPAN channels to its “MyNews” programming package earlier this year, as first reported by The Desk.
Over the past few years, C-SPAN has lobbied for-profit streaming cable TV alternatives to carry their networks, which are funded by the traditional cable and satellite industry. The push comes at a time when ongoing churn in the legacy pay TV business have chipped away at distribution fees that C-SPAN relies upon for its operations. C-SPAN says its channels cost as little as eight cents per subscriber, and that the network operates as a public service, owed largely to its non-partisan political affairs programming and lack of advertisements.
“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,” said Mary Ellen Coe, the Chief Business Officer at YouTube. “Through this partnership, Americans will have access to content that showcases the creators and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future, explores American pastimes and music, and takes a look back at the key historical moments that shaped our nation.”
C-SPAN’s programming is unique in the television industry, offering gavel-to-gavel coverage of Congress, congressional hearings and in-depth public affairs events that are rarely carried by other outlets. The network also operates C-SPAN Radio, the C-SPAN Now mobile app, C-SPAN Select for connected TVs and a video-rich website with more than 300,000 hours of searchable content.
The channels are expected to debut on YouTube TV in the fall. YouTube TV costs $83 per month and carries broadcast stations affiliated with the five major networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and the CW Network — plus local PBS member stations in most parts of the country. The service also offers nationally-distributed channels from the E. W. Scripps Company, Fox Corporation, NBC Universal, the Walt Disney Company, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, AMC Networks and Allen Media Group.
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