Disney’s channels have gone dark on YouTube TV in the United States after the parties failed to agree renewal terms before the 30 October deadline.
The blackout affects ABC stations and cable brands including ESPN, FX, National Geographic and Disney Channel. Both sides point to pricing as the issue: YouTube TV says Disney’s asks would push up customer bills; Disney accuses Google of using leverage to force unfavourable terms.
YouTube TV says it will issue a one-time $20 (€17) credit if the outage extends, while talks continue without a short-term extension. The timing hits a crowded sports schedule, with ESPN’s college football and NFL coverage among programming impacted.
The vMVPD has a customer base of around 10 million, magnifying the disruption relative to previous disputes YouTube TV resolved with other programmers without a blackout. Local ABC is also unavailable during the outage.
This is a US-only issue: YouTube TV isn’t available in the UK or Europe. Viewers in affected US markets can access ABC over-the-air where reception allows; sports carried by ESPN require an alternative pay-TV provider while the dispute lasts.
