C-SPAN is making its way to YouTube and Hulu’s live TV streaming platforms in landmark deals, the nonprofit announced on Wednesday.
The network, which broadcasts original programs and public-affairs proceedings including congressional hearings and White House briefings, will bring its three channels — C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 — to YouTube TV this fall. It will also join Hulu + Live TV’s basic package.
YouTube will also sponsor C-SPAN’s coverage next year of the country’s 250th birthday, while Hulu framed its deal as a “multi-year distribution agreement.” C-SPAN already had a YouTube channel, but its full suite of programs will now air on YouTube’s pay-TV offering.
The announcement came after an extensive lobbying effort by CEO Sam Feist, who joined the network last year after a years-long stint as CNN’s Washington bureau chief. C-SPAN, a privately funded nonprofit, relies almost entirely on monthly carriage fees by cable and satellite television providers, a revenue stream that has declined precipitously since 2018 as more Americans cut the cord and shift to streaming.
“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,” Feist said in a statement. “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.”
Feist added in a separate statement that the Hulu deal showcases how “our long-standing mission is essential to our society and our democracy.”
“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,” YouTube’s chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe echoed. “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.”
Feist also told Vanity Fair in May that C-SPAN’s financial trajectory was “not sustainable,” especially as its 2025 expenses were estimated to exceed its total revenue by roughly $8 million.
Hulu did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
