Disney and YouTube have reached an agreement to bring back ESPN and more than 20 other Disney-owned channels two weeks after they went dark on YouTube TV.
During the dispute, Google has accused Disney of trying to raise prices for its customers in an effort to boost its own Hulu + Live TV and Fubo offerings, while Disney claimed that Google was being unreasonable and seeking preferential treatment and below-market rates.
Google even gave YouTube TV customers a $20 credit for the inconvenience while the dispute was going on. And days before the deal was done, CEOs Bob Iger and Sundar Pichai reportedly got more involved in the negotiations. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr also urged the companies to “get it done!”
The situation was quite different from the 2021 carriage blackout between the two companies, which was resolved within a couple of days.
Read on below for all of our news and updates about Google and Disney’s battle.
- $7.3 million a day.
That’s how much Disney says ESPN and its sports business lost in income during the 15-day YouTube TV blackout late last year, totalling $110 million. That’s almost double the daily hit analysts had estimated at the time, and it’s just for sports, not counting any hit to ABC or Disney’s entertainment channels.
Disney and ESPN are back on YouTube TV
Getty ImagesESPN and other Disney-owned channels will be returning to YouTube TV following a new agreement announced Friday. More than 20 channels went dark on YouTube TV on October 30th, but two weeks later — and after CEOs Bob Iger and Sundar Pichai reportedly got more involved in negotiations — the companies have reached a deal.
“Key elements” of the deal include, according to Disney:
Read Article >- Disney is “trying really hard” to get ESPN back on YouTube TV.
During an earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company isn’t “trying to break any new ground” on a deal that would end the ESPN blackout:
The deal that we have proposed is equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to... 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.
- Bob Iger and Sundar Pichai reportedly join the ESPN / YouTube TV dispute.
The Athletic reports that Disney and Google’s CEOs have become “more involved” in the negotiations nearly two weeks after ESPN, ABC, and other Disney-owned channels went dark on YouTube TV.
Sources tell the outlet that YouTube TV is still trying to determine how much it should pay for Disney’s non-sports networks like Freeform, FX, and National Geographic.
Disney is losing over $4 million a day in revenue on the YouTube TV blackout
Image: The VergeDisney’s spat with Google’s YouTube TV over a new content distribution contract is costing the entertainment giant $4.3 million a day in lost revenue, Morgan Stanley estimates.
That’s $30 million a week as the blackout of channels including ABC and ESPN stretches into its 12th day, Variety reports, though the analysts expect Disney and Google to reach a resolution by the end of the week. The dispute is also costing Google — Variety reports that a Drive Research survey of 1,100 US consumers found 24 percent canceled or planned to cancel their subscriptions.
Read Article >- Disney CEO Bob Iger is going on the ManningCast, which airs on ESPN2.
Ahead of one of the biggest games of the NFL season so far, I have a feeing there might be something he wants to talk about. He’ll be on the show at 8PM ET.
- Google is issuing a $20 credit to YouTube TV subscribers.
Now that the Disney blackout has dragged on for an “extended period of time,” Google will begin handing out the promised credits today. Customers should get an email explaining how to apply the one-time credit to their next bill. But, $20 probably won’t satisfy disgruntled customers who just want to watch SportsCenter.
Films from YouTube and Google Play are no longer available on Movies Anywhere
Image: Alex Castro / The VergeIf you logged into your Movies Anywhere account in the past few days, you might have noticed some titles missing from your library, specifically content purchased on Google Play and YouTube. As of October 31st, movies from either platform are no longer available on Movies Anywhere.
The change was announced on a brief help page on Movies Anywhere, which simply states: “Effective 10/31/25, Google Play/YouTube will no longer participate in the Movies Anywhere program.” There are no further details about the reasoning behind the break-up. It appears that movies that were already synced to Movies Anywhere from a Google account are still accessible, but new purchases can’t be added to the platform.
Read Article >- No Monday Night Football, no Election Night ABC News for YouTube TV.
The standoff between Disney and YouTube started just before midnight on Thursday evening, and unlike the 36-hour tiff in 2021, there’s no sign of an end yet. Disney said it asked Google to turn the networks on for 24 hours for election (and probably football) coverage, but YouTube declined.
There are plenty of other options for customers - election news information is very widely available across other broadcast stations and news networks on YouTube TV, as well as on the main YouTube service, for free. In fact, on the last two U.S. election days, the vast majority of tuned in YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC.
ESPN, ABC, and other Disney channels go dark on YouTube TV
Image: Alex Castro / The VergeMore than 20 Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ABC, and Nat Geo, have been pulled from YouTube TV after Google and Disney failed to reach a new content distribution agreement. The previous contract expired at 11:59 PM ET on October 30th, and it’s unclear when, or if, the two companies will reach a new deal.
The blackout was prompted by disagreements over carriage fees, with Google saying in a blog post published last week that Disney was “proposing costly economic terms that would raise prices on YouTube TV customers.” That same post was updated at 11:15PM on Thursday, claiming that Disney had followed through on threats to pull its channels from YouTube TV, which Google described as a “negotiating tactic.”
Read Article >Disney is suing YouTube for poaching a key media and sports executive
Getty Images for The Wict NetworAs YouTube prepares to air an exclusive NFL opening week game for free on September 5th, it’s hiring former Disney exec Justin Connolly. The move has caused Disney to respond by suing both YouTube and Connolly, saying he was in the middle of leading the team negotiating Disney’s license renewal with YouTube.
He’d most recently been running the streaming services and linear media networks at Disney, and will take over as YouTube’s new global head of media and sports, as first reported by Bloomberg. After spending more than 20 years at Disney and ESPN, he’ll be managing YouTube’s relationship with the media companies that distribute content on YouTube TV, as well as leading its live sports coverage.
Read Article >
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