Disney and YouTube TV have struck a deal to end their bitter feud and restore major sports channels to 10 million viewers.
Disney, which owns ABC and ESPN’s array of networks, had failed to agree on a new distribution contract with YouTube. That led to a blackout and sparked a standoff for just over two weeks.
Disney said in a statement: ‘As part of the new deal, Disney’s full suite of networks and stations – including ESPN and ABC – have already begin to be restored to YouTube TV subscribers.’Â
Now a resolution has been found, viewers should be able to enjoy a full slate of college football action this weekend as well as the NFL’s Monday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders.
The entertainment conglomerate had claimed YouTube wasn’t paying fair value for ESPN and ABC, while the website argued in response that Disney’s demands would lead to higher prices and fewer options for customers.
YouTube TV even offered a $20 credit to its 10 million subscribers since ESPN and ABC left its platform on October 30.Â
Disney and YouTube TV have agreed a deal to end their bitter feud and restore ESPN and ABC
YouTube TV and Disney had been locked in a standoff for just over two weeks before Friday
More than 20 Disney-owned channels were taken off YouTube TV, including FX, NatGeo and Disney Channel, as well as ESPN and ABC.
It’s claimed the deal will give YouTube TV subscribers, who pay just over $80 a month, will have access to ESPN’s new app as well.Â
YouTube commented: ‘We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers.
‘Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.’Â
On November 3, Disney also asked YouTube TV to restore ABC programming for Election Day on November 4 to put ‘the public interest first.’ But YouTube TV said this temporary reprieve would confuse customers – and instead proposed that the entertainment giant agree to restore both its ABC and ESPN channels while the two sides continue negotiations.
The blackout marked the latest in growing list of licensing disputes in today’s streaming world. And consumers often pay the price.
From sports events to awards shows, live programming that was once reserved for broadcast has increasingly made its way into the streaming world over the years as more and more consumers ditch traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions for content they can get online.Â
But amid growing competition, renewing carriage agreements can also mean tense contract negotiations – and at times service disruptions.
ESPN and ABC had gone dark for over 10 million Americans but service has been restored
Sports fans were furious after their slate of weekend viewing continued to be jeopardized
YouTube TV and Disney have been down this road before. In 2021, YouTube TV subscribers also briefly lost access to all Disney content on the platform after a similar contract breakdown between the two companies. That outage lasted less than two days, with the companies eventually reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, YouTube TV has removed other networks from its platform after expired agreements. Spanish-language broadcaster Univision has been unavailable on YouTube TV since September 30, for example.
At the time, its parent company TelevisaUnivision decried Google’s move – noting it would strip ‘millions of Hispanic viewers of the Spanish-language news, sports, and entertainment they rely on every day’ and called on the platform to reverse course.
YouTube TV´s base subscription plan costs $82.99 per month – which, beyond Disney content, currently includes live TV offerings from networks like NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS and more.
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Relief for 10 million sports fans as Disney and YouTube TV finally agree deal to end bitter feud