In the latest disagreement between corporate broadcast owners and carriers has once again left viewers in the lurch with channels going dark.
This time around it’s Disney who owns a large conglomerate of channels including ESPN, ABC, Disney Channel, FX and Nat Geo.
Disney has pulled its channel lineup from YouTube TV after no distribution deal could be reached.
Disney followed through on their threat to pull the channels on Thursday; leaving sports fans without access to NFL, College football, NBA, and NHL games.
The largest internet TV provider in the country with some nine million subscribers, the blackout threat was used as a negotiating tactic. Subscribers had a warning of things to come with messages scrolling across the screen.
While the blackout ultimately is a big loss for subscribers; it isn’t as big of a loss for Disney who also owns Hulu, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV.
YouTube TV noted, “we know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV.
YouTube has stated they will, “give subscribers a $20 credit if Disney content is unavailable for an extended period of time.” However, they did not define “an extended period of time”.
YouTube’s basic subscription plan is $82.99 per month!
Disney claims the age old argument that YouTube is refusing to “pay a fair rate” for the channels and; as a result, has “chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most.”
Disney claims, “with a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.”
Disney Entertainment Co-Chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman; along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said that YouTube TV pulled the channels from the site prior to the midnight deadline and also deleted content subscribers had recorded.
Affected channels include: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews. ESPN Deportes, ABC, ABC News Live, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD. FX, FXX, FXM, SEC Network, ACC Network, Freeform, Localish, and Baby TV Español.
Streaming add-ons 4K Plus and Spanish Plus are also affected.
YouTube TV subscribers who wish to access any of the affect content will have to access ESPN, ABC, Disney or other channels directly, but will be subject to any access fees to see the programming. Hulu, Disney+, and Fubo are also options.
Disney is directing subscribers to go to the website KeepMyNetworks.com.
This is not the first time that YouTube TV and Disney have been at odds over carriage fees. YouTube subscribers were left in the dark for two days in 2021 while the two entities negotiated a new contract.