By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC.
That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — as well as NBA and NFL games — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived.
In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to traditional broadcasting or the company’s own platforms — which come with their own price tags.
Here’s what we know.
Why is Disney content not on YouTube TV today?
Disney content was pulled from YouTube TV after a carriage agreement expired on Thursday. The two sides have been unable to reach a new deal to continue licensing Disney channels on the platform — resulting in the current blackout.
YouTube TV says that Disney is proposing terms that would be too costly, resulting in higher prices and fewer choices for its subscribers. Google’s streamer has accused Disney of following through on “the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic” — and claims that the move also benefits Disney’s own streaming products like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
Meanwhile, Disney says that YouTube TV has refused to pay fair rates of its channels — and is therefore choosing “to deny their subscribers the content they value most.” The California entertainment giant also accused Google of “using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.”
In a Friday note to employees, Disney Entertainment Co-Chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro added that YouTube TV pulled Disney content Thursday night “prior to the midnight expiration of our deal” — and noted the platform also deleted subscribers’ previously-recorded programming. The Associated Press reached out to Google for further comment.
What channels are impacted?
ESPN and ABC are among the biggest networks that YouTube TV subscribers can no longer access amid the dispute.
And beyond those top sports and news offerings, other Disney-owned content that is now dark on the platform include channels specific to U.S. college athletic regions, like the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference. NatGeo and FX are also impacted.
Here’s a recap of the full list outlined by YouTube TV:
1. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
2. ABC and ABC News Live
3. Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
4. Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD
5. FX, FXX and FXM
6. SEC Network and ACC Network
7. Freeform
8. Localish
9. Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
Google says that streamer adds-ons like 4K Plus and Spanish Plus are also affected.
Where else can I watch ESPN and ABC?
Consumers can continue to watch Disney’s sports programming on the company’s own ESPN offerings — but it will come with an additional cost. For streaming, the network launched its own platform earlier this year under the same ESPN name, starting at $29.99 a month.
Other Disney content can be found on platforms like Hulu, Disney+ and Fubo. Again, those come with their own price tags. Disney also allows people to bundle ESPN along with Hulu and Disney+ for $35.99 a month — or $29.99 a month for the first year.
Disney also directed customers to a website called KeepMyNetworks.com to explore other options, which includes more traditional broadcast services.
But if you’re a YouTube TV subscriber and don’t have these streaming subscriptions or broadcast offerings, you might be left without access to this Disney content as long as the impasse lasts. YouTube TV said it would give subscribers a $20 credit if Disney content unavailable “for an extended period of time.”
YouTube TV’s base subscription plan costs $82.99 per month. Beyond Disney content, the platform currently offers live TV from networks like NBC, CBS, Fox, BBC, PBS, Hallmark, Food Network and more.
How long could the dispute last?
YouTube TV and Disney have acknowledged that the disruption is frustrating — and both maintain that they’re still committed to finding a resolution. But only time will tell.
The current blackout marks the latest in growing list of licensing disputes that impact consumers’ access to content.
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. But renewing carriage agreements can also mean tense contract negotiations, particularly amid growing competition in the space.
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.
Some past impasses have been shorter and limited to a matter of hours — or found a way to temporarily ward of disruptions at the last minute. In August, for example, YouTube TV reached a “short-term extension” in its contract dispute with Fox, and the two later reached a new licensing deal.