Disney Channels Return to YouTube TV Following Two-Week Dispute
YouTube TV and Disney announced on Friday that they have reached an agreement to restore programming from Disney-owned channels, including ABC and ESPN, on the streaming platform, concluding a two-week dispute that had excluded subscribers from significant sporting events.
The conflict began on October 31, resulting in the removal of over 20 Disney-operated channels from YouTube TV. Subscribers were unable to access live broadcasts of major sporting events, including college football games and two Monday Night Football games. The affected channels included ABC, ESPN, FX, National Geographic, Disney Channel, and Freeform.
YouTube expressed satisfaction with the agreement in an official statement, saying, "We are pleased to announce our agreement with Disney, which preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and provides future flexibility in our offerings. Subscribers can now watch channels, including ABC, ESPN, and FX, 24/7, along with all recordings that were previously in their library. We apologize for the interruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience during negotiations on their behalf."
Disney representatives welcomed the agreement, emphasizing that it meets audience expectations. Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, co-chairs of Disney Entertainment, along with Jimmy Pitaro, president of ESPN, stated that the agreement "reflects the way audiences consume content."
They added, "We are pleased that our networks are back in time for fans to enjoy programming this week, including college football games."
The dispute centered around the fees Disney charges YouTube TV for airing its networks, with ESPN being one of the most expensive channels, with fees exceeding $10 per month per subscriber for pay-TV services.
To compensate subscribers during the dispute, YouTube TV offered a $15 credit to their accounts.
The agreement also brings additional benefits for subscribers, as Disney confirmed that access to the ESPN Unlimited package, which includes content from ESPN+ and new digital content expected later this year, will be available to basic plan subscribers on YouTube TV at no extra cost until the end of 2026.
YouTube stated that the agreement provides future options for programming offerings with Disney and other partners.
Notably, this is not the first time YouTube TV has been embroiled in disputes with major media companies, as NBCUniversal's content was nearly removed from the service last October before a resolution was reached, and the service had a similar dispute with Fox in August that almost led to the removal of channels like Fox News and Fox Sports.
