diff --git a/common/test/acceptance/tests/helpers.py b/common/test/acceptance/tests/helpers.py
index 764c437b35..b2b416b909 100644
--- a/common/test/acceptance/tests/helpers.py
+++ b/common/test/acceptance/tests/helpers.py
@@ -1,9 +1,41 @@
 """
 Test helper functions and base classes.
 """
+import requests
 from path import path
 from bok_choy.web_app_test import WebAppTest
-from bok_choy.promise import EmptyPromise
+
+
+def is_youtube_available():
+    """
+    Check if the required youtube urls are available.
+
+    If a URL in `youtube_api_urls` is not reachable then subsequent URLs will not be checked.
+
+    Returns:
+        bool:
+
+    """
+
+    youtube_api_urls = {
+        'main': 'https://www.youtube.com/',
+        'player': 'http://www.youtube.com/iframe_api',
+        'metadata': 'http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/',
+        # For transcripts, you need to check an actual video, so we will
+        # just specify our default video and see if that one is available.
+        'transcript': 'http://video.google.com/timedtext?lang=en&v=OEoXaMPEzfM',
+    }
+
+    for url in youtube_api_urls.itervalues():
+        try:
+            response = requests.get(url, allow_redirects=False)
+        except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
+            return False
+
+        if response.status_code >= 300:
+            return False
+
+    return True
 
 
 def load_data_str(rel_path):
diff --git a/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py b/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py
index 0838007300..627cdf4295 100644
--- a/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py
+++ b/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py
@@ -5,15 +5,16 @@ Acceptance tests for Video.
 """
 
 import json
+from unittest import skipIf
 import requests
-from ..helpers import UniqueCourseTest
+from box.test.flaky import flaky
+from ..helpers import UniqueCourseTest, is_youtube_available
 from ...pages.lms.video.video import VideoPage
 from ...pages.lms.tab_nav import TabNavPage
 from ...pages.lms.course_nav import CourseNavPage
 from ...pages.lms.auto_auth import AutoAuthPage
 from ...pages.lms.course_info import CourseInfoPage
 from ...fixtures.course import CourseFixture, XBlockFixtureDesc
-from box.test.flaky import flaky
 
 
 VIDEO_SOURCE_PORT = 8777
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ class YouTubeConfigError(Exception):
 
 
 @flaky
+@skipIf(is_youtube_available() is False, 'YouTube is not available!')
 class VideoBaseTest(UniqueCourseTest):
     """
     Base class for tests of the Video Player