Disney CEO Bob Iger addressed the company’s standoff with Google on Thursday amid a carriage rights battle that has left YouTube TV customers without ABC, ESPN and a host of other Disney networks since Oct. 30.
“The deal that we have proposed is equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to. We’re not trying to really break any new ground,” Iger said about the deal Google allegedly turned down.
“While we’ve been working tirelessly to close this deal and restore our channels to the platform, it’s also imperative that we make sure that we agree to a deal that reflects the value that we deliver, which both YouTube, by the way, and Alphabet have told us is greater than the value of any other provider.”
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While Disney and Google remain in their standoff, YouTube TV has landed a different sports network.
NBCUniversal’s revived NBC Sports Network will live exclusively on YouTube TV for an undetermined amount of time before expanding to other pay TV options, NBCU announced in a press release.
“NBCUniversal delivers the biggest moments in sports, and the new NBC Sports Network gives pay-TV customers a seamless way to enjoy the wide range of sports in our portfolio, adding an important pillar in our linear and streaming strategy,” Matt Schnaars, President, Platform Distribution and Partnerships, NBCU said in a statement on Thursday.
“NBCSN is a win across the board – driving value for fans and distributors who prefer an aggregated experience, league and conference partners seeking broad reach, and advertisers targeting engaged sports audiences – while also creating a new monetization path for some of our most premium programming and supporting NBCU’s commitment to serving viewers wherever they watch, whether on Peacock, pay-TV, or both.”
The decision comes as NBCU is putting a significant amount of sports programming on Peacock after the network landed a massive NBA deal. Having a linear network available to sports fans will allow them to stop app hopping in the hopes of finding the game they hope to watch.
Meanwhile, the standoff between Google and Disney is entering its third week.
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