C-SPAN joins YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV in move toward streaming future

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In response to a public request by the nonprofit organization, C-SPAN has been granted distribution on two prominent digital platforms, YouTube and Hulu + Live TV, approximately two months later.

Economic shifts within various industries have adversely affected C-SPAN, leading the U.S. Senate to encourage streaming platforms to make available the privately funded TV service that has broadcast nonpartisan, continuous coverage of congressional hearings and roll call votes for many years. This implies that the struggling C-SPAN situation prompted the Senate to persuade streaming companies to start providing their subscribers with this long-running, independently financed television service.

In their June resolution, senators stated that it’s important for all TV service providers, whether they offer traditional broadcasting or streaming options, to prioritize delivering C-SPAN content. This way, Americans can keep up with Congressional activities as they happen in real time.

On Wednesday, C-SPAN announced separate distribution agreements with YouTube and Hulu + Live TV.

These agreements aim to increase access for numerous viewers across the country to unbiased coverage of U.S. government events by C-SPAN, thereby reinforcing C-SPAN’s position as a crucial provider of programs related to public affairs, according to their statement.

The organization known as C-SPAN, which stands for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, primarily depends on income from license fees provided by cable, satellite, and other TV service providers that offer multiple channels. However, with the decline in traditional pay-TV households, C-SPAN has faced a significant financial shortfall.

In the previous year, C-SPAN recorded a revenue of $46.3 million, marking a significant drop of about 37% compared to $73 million in 2015. This substantial decrease can largely be attributed to the fact that cable channels like C-SPAN were accessible in over 100 million households just a decade ago.

Since then, the number of homes has been cut nearly in half.

Hollywood Inc.

As a devoted cinephile, I’ve noticed that the non-profit television network, which is generously supported by our trusty cable and satellite service providers, seems to be under some pressure lately. It appears that the pool of traditional pay-TV subscribers has been dwindling, leading to a potential squeeze for this channel.

This autumn, the basic channel lineup on YouTube TV will include the three C-SPAN channels – C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, and C-SPAN3. Not only that, but these channels will also be accessible on YouTube’s primary video platform.

Furthermore, the network’s coverage of “America 250,” commemorating our nation’s 2½ century anniversary, will be supported by YouTube, a property owned by Google.

For almost five decades, cable and satellite providers have recognized and valued the public service that C-SPAN provides. Now, C-SPAN’s CEO, Sam Feist, has announced his anticipation for collaborating closely with YouTube to make C-SPAN’s unfiltered coverage of our political process accessible to even more American citizens.

C-SPAN employs its own cameras within the Capitol, which allows them to capture events as they happen when the government’s audio-visual systems fail or are interrupted.

This past summer, Feist expressed to The Times that it should be possible for C-SPAN to address its financial deficit if streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV were to include C-SPAN’s broadcasts in their offerings.

Approximately 20 million homes have signed up for video service providers that distribute TV channels via the internet, often referred to as Over-The-Top (OTT) content suppliers or Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services.

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2025-09-04 02:31