AMC Global Media has renewed its distribution agreement with Google-owned streaming television service YouTube TV that allows more than 10 million subscribers to continue watching its linear TV networks and free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels, executives at AMC confirmed this week.
The deal with YouTube also allows the company to resell access to AMC’s seven streaming services, including AMC Plus, and will allow YouTube TV to carry AMC’s core cable networks in its lower-priced, genre-based packages for the first time ever, AMC Global Media CEO Kristin Dolan said on Thursday.
The arrangement comes as AMC continues to prioritize its streaming platforms and FAST channels as part of a long-term strategy for success, at a time when traditional cable and satellite platforms continue to experience higher churn due to rising costs.
Two years ago, AMC began allowing some of its pay TV partners to include access to the ad-supported tier of AMC Plus at no extra cost to subscribers if their traditional pay TV plans offer AMC’s core cable networks. Those networks include AMC, IFC, BBC America, WeTV, Sundance Channel and the U.S. version of BBC News.
Philo, which counts AMC Global Media as one of its investor-owners, was the first to begin offering the ad-supported plan of AMC Plus to its subscribers at no extra cost. Philo streamers can also upgrade to the commercial-free version of AMC Plus for an additional fee.
Other services, including Charter’s Spectrum TV and DIRECTV, have also unlocked access to the ad-supported tier of AMC Plus when a customer pays for a plan that includes AMC’s cable channels. Those arrangements are expected to become more common over time, Dolan told investors on Thursday.
It isn’t clear if the company’s new deal with YouTube TV means customers who receive AMC channels will also get access to the ad-supported AMC Plus tier, though all YouTube and YouTube TV users will be able to buy a subscription regardless.
AMC’s streaming-focused partnerships with pay TV companies has accelerated uptake and engagement of AMC Plus and other services, Dolan said. Its pacts with Charter and Philo saw more than 2 million activations of AMC Plus and a related streaming service called ALLBLK, she affirmed.
