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Disney

YouTube TV and Disney Reach Deal Ending Two-Week Blackout of ESPN, ABC

by jummy84 November 15, 2025

written by jummy84

ESPN, ABC and other Disney TV networks are coming back to YouTube TV.

Google and Disney finally ended their standoff, announcing a multiyear agreement Friday on pricing and terms for a renewed carriage deal for YouTube TV. Disney’s nets went dark on the internet TV service just before midnight ET on Thursday, Oct. 30, after the two sides remained far apart on a deal before the expiration of the previous contract.

Under the new agreement, ESPN’s full lineup of sports — including content from ESPN Unlimited — will be made available on YouTube TV to base-plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026. In addition, access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited will be available inside YouTube TV.

The deal also lets YouTube include the Disney+ and Hulu bundle as part of “select YouTube offerings.” According to Disney, “select networks” will be included in various genre-specific packages that YouTube TV expects to launch in the future.

“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,’’ Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a joint statement. “It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”

In a statement, a YouTube spokesperson said Friday, “We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers. Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf. ”

The deal supersedes their prior distribution agreement, inked in December 2021 after a two-day blackout.

On Sunday (Nov. 9) YouTube began issuing one-time $20 credits to YouTube TV customers for the loss of Disney’s programming, in the hopes it would help stave off user cancelations.

Many YouTube TV subscribers dropped the service in frustration. According to a survey fielded last week, 24% of YouTube TV users said they had canceled or intended to cancel their accounts over the Disney blackout. A YouTube rep said that “while subscriber churn is always regrettable, it’s been manageable and does not align with the findings of this survey.” Disney took a hit, too, losing more than $4 million per day during the blackout, according to an estimate by Morgan Stanley analysts.

Google had said Disney was asking for an unprecedented fee increase for the full suite of ESPN channels, ABC local stations, FX, Disney Channel, Freeform, Nat Geo and more — while Disney claimed the tech giant was “refusing to pay fair rates for our channels.” According to Google, Disney was trying to “reset” the market pricing for its programming (so it could charge similarly higher rates in upcoming renewals with other pay-TV distributors) and that Disney was insisting YouTube TV take the Mouse House’s full lineup of networks. The negotiating teams were led by Disney Platform Distribution EVP Sean Breen and YouTube chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe.

The removal of Disney’s networks from YouTube TV came a day before a busy Nov. 1 Saturday slate for college football as major marquee teams face pivotal contests, many of them aired on ESPN and ABC. In light of the blackout, ESPN made its “College GameDay” football pregame show available free to watch via a livestream on X. YouTube TV customers also missed two airings of “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN. (YouTube pointed out to users they could catch all of ESPN’s programming on the ESPN Unlimited subscription service.)

Along with Disney’s live channels, YouTube TV customers’ DVR recordings of the media conglomerate’s programming were removed, as is standard in such disputes. With the deal renewal, YouTube TV subscribers will regain access to recordings that were previously in their library, according to YouTube.

On Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts that the company had been “working tirelessly to close this deal” but said, “It’s also imperative that we make sure that we agree to a deal that reflects the value that we deliver, which both YouTube, by the way, and Alphabet, have told us, is greater than the value of any other provider.”

Disney Entertainment’s Walden and Bergman and ESPN’s Pitaro had previously addressed the impasse in several memos to staffers. “YouTube TV and its owner, Google, are not interested in achieving a fair deal with us,” the execs wrote in an Oct. 31 email. “Instead, they want to use their power and extraordinary resources to eliminate competition and devalue the very content that helped them build their service.”

Meanwhile, ahead of this year’s Election Night (Nov. 4), Disney asked Google to restore ABC on YouTube TV for one day to serve the “public interest.” Google declined — and instead suggested that Disney allow YouTube TV to make ABC and ESPN available while the two sides continued talks because those are “the channels that people want.” Disney didn’t go for the idea.

The Disney-Google clash became public Oct. 23, when Disney began alerting viewers that its networks could be removed from YouTube TV.

Disney has faced other tough negotiations with distributors amid the transition to ESPN Unlimited — the standalone streaming service launched in August that includes everything on the sports programmer’s lineup — and its continued investment in Disney+ and Hulu.

In 2023, Disney’s networks had a 10-day blackout on Charter Communications cable systems in a similar fight over price. To settle the Charter deal, Disney allowed Charter’s high-tier TV subscribers to access Disney+ and the ESPN+ streaming app. In 2024, ESPN and other Disney nets went dark on DirecTV for nearly two weeks before they reached a new deal. In October, Disney and Comcast quietly reached a carriage renewal deal.

Google has encountered no small amount of friction in deal-renewal talks this year for YouTube TV. Other programmers that have fought with the internet company include Paramount Global (now Paramount Skydance), Fox Corp. and NBCUniversal — each of which reached a new deal without a blackout. At the end of September, YouTube TV dropped Univision, with Google alleging the price increases sought by parent company TelevisaUnivision were drastically out of line with viewership on the platform.

YouTube TV is the biggest internet-TV service in the U.S., estimated to have more than 10 million subscribers. Next is Disney, which last week closed a deal to merge its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo; together, those have almost 6 million subs in North America. Google had asserted Disney’s hardball tactics over a YouTube TV deal was “benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.”

November 15, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Disney And YouTube TV Reach Carriage Deal, Ending 15-Day Standoff

by jummy84 November 15, 2025

written by jummy84

Disney and YouTube TV have reached a carriage agreement, ending a pitched battle that dragged on for 15 days, frustrating consumers and fascinating the media business.

Included in the multi-year pact are carriage of ABC and ESPN, a portfolio of other networks. The Unlimited tier of ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming outlet will also be included at no extra charge for YouTube TV’s 10 million subscribers. The bundle of Disney+ and Hulu will also be made available in “select YouTube offerings,” the companies said, and certain networks will also be part of genre-specific packages.

The genre packages and access to the new ESPN streaming service, which launched in August as a major hedge against cord-cutting, had been on the priority list for Disney negotiators for months. While comments by executives largely centered on disputes over pricing and fair market value, a sticking point in the negotiations – ingestion – reflected the complexities of the streaming era. The new pact includes a form of ingestion, but not into YouTube’s channel store. Content from ESPN Unlimited will be incorporated into the user experience of YouTube TV, allowing subscribers to view it within the app as opposed to having to jump out to the ESPN app.

“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,’’ Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”

YouTube TV, which has grown into one of the top U.S. pay-TV providers since launching in 2017, will restore programming, including titles stored on cloud DVRs, from Disney over the next 24 hours. The restoration came in time for viewers to be able to tune in for a packed college football slate and Monday Night Football‘s Dallas Cowboys-Las Vegas Raiders game. At 15 days, the blackout was the longest ever for Disney and was threatening to extend a drought of college football to a third weekend in the prime of the season.

“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement. “Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf. “

November 15, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Bob Iger on Disney Deal Standoff With YouTube TV ‘Working Tirelessly’

by jummy84 November 13, 2025

written by jummy84

It’s two weeks into the YouTube TV blackout of Disney networks — including ESPN and ABC — and the Mouse House’s top brass say they’re hunkering down to fight for as long as it takes to reach terms that are acceptable to the media company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger, speaking on the company’s September quarter earnings call, said, “We care deeply about our consumer and our priority has always been to remain on their service without interruption, to close a deal on a timely basis so that interruption does not occur. The deal that we have proposed is equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to. So we’re not trying to really break any new ground, and while we’ve been working tirelessly to close this deal and restore our channel to the platform. It’s also imperative that we make sure that we agree to a deal that reflects the value that we deliver, which both YouTube, by the way, and Alphabet, have told us, is greater than the value of any other provider.”

Iger continued, “So we’re not trying to break new ground. The offer that’s on the table is commensurate with deals that we’ve already struck with, actually distributors that are larger than they are. We’re trying really hard, as I said, working tirelessly to close this deal, and we’re hope, we were hopeful that we’ll be able to do so on a timely enough basis to at least give consumers the opportunity to access our content over their platform.”

Disney CFO Hugh Johnston, in an interview with CNBC earlier Thursday, took a more adversarial stance. “Obviously, as we entered the year, we knew this was going to be a challenging battle and we prepared ourselves for it, and we’re ready to go as long as they want to,” he said.

On the company’s earnings call, Johnston didn’t provide much additional insight into when there might be a deal reached on a YouTube TV renewal. “Obviously, I’m not going to comment much on ongoing negotiations that are live right now. The only thing I would say is, in terms of our guidance, we built a hedge into that with the expectation that that these discussions could go for a little while,” he told analysts.

Johnston added that in terms of “the dollar impact” on Disney’s bottom line, he said: “Keep in mind, there’s two pieces to it. There’s the piece that we’re not getting paid for [from YouTube], and then the piece that we’re picking up by virtue of subscribers moving elsewhere. But beyond that, I don’t want to comment because it is a live negotiation right now.” This week Disney extended Johnston’s employment agreement through 2029.

Such carriage fights are not uncommon in the pay-TV business. But Google and Disney have gone into this dispute deeply entrenched in their positions, and still don’t seem to be very close to a resolution. Disney’s networks went dark on YouTube TV service just before midnight ET on Thursday, Oct. 30, after Disney and Google were far apart on a deal before the expiration of the previous contract.

As is almost always the case, the companies are fighting over price. Google says Disney is asking for an unprecedented fee hike in order to “reset” the market and be able to charge other distributors the same high rates. Disney has countered that Google is “refusing to pay fair rates for our channels.”

The economic pain is likely setting in for both sides. Disney is losing an estimated $30 million per week in revenue because of the YouTube TV blackout, Morgan Stanley has estimated, and the loss of viewers on the platform appears to be cutting into Disney’s TV ratings. Meanwhile, Google is clearly facing a rising tide of irate YouTube TV subscribers, which will only grow the longer the standoff continues.

YouTube TV customers have already missed two straight weeks of “Monday Night Football” on ESPN and ABC (Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers on Nov. 10 and Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 3), not to mention two Saturdays of college football and other sports, plus ABC primetime shows and more.

This past Sunday, YouTube TV began alerting subscribers about how to manually apply a one-time $20 credit to their account because of the Disney carriage dispute, a move to try to mitigate cancellations.

November 13, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Disney CFO On YouTube TV Fight

by jummy84 November 13, 2025

written by jummy84

“We’re in the middle of negotiations right now. Things are live. They’re happening. Obviously, as we entered the year, we knew this was going to be a challenging battle and we prepared ourselves for it, and we’re ready to go as long as they want to,” said Disney chief financial officer Hugh Johnston on CNBC this morning on the Mouse’s ongoing fight with YouTube TV.

Disney and YouTube have been locked in a carriage standoff for the past two weeks with ABC, ESPN and other networks going dark Oct. 30 on the Google service that is now the No. 3 U.S. pay-TV provider with 10 million subscribers. Industry and subscriber hopes that a second week of Monday Night Football would hasten the end of the clash went by the boards. Thus far, two revenue-rich Saturday slates of college football and two Monday night contests have been wiped out, with a 21% hit to ratings on the November 3 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals.

In an interview on the network just after Disney reported mixed quarterly earnings, Johnston pushed back on comments that YouTube’s parent (Google and Alphabet) may have more leverage in negotiations given the relative size YouTube TV to the overall enterprise.

“This is ultimately about your customers, and, right now, YouTube customers are suffering without this critical content for them, right? Sports in the middle of football season is about as important as you can get. So, I think from that perspective, we perhaps have some leverage as well, because there are other places people can go to get that sports,” Johnston said.

He declined to address particular issues at stake in the talks. “I’m just not going to comment on the various elements of the negotiation. It’s a negotiation. There’s back and forth. They want certain things, you want certain things.”

Johnston will be flanking Disney CEO Bob Iger on a call with Wall Street analysts starting 8:30 ET where the YouTube TV fight will likely come up again.

November 13, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Hyun Bin’s ‘Made in Korea’ Renewed for Season 2 at Disney+

by jummy84 November 13, 2025

written by jummy84

Disney+ has greenlit a second season of Korean crime series “Made in Korea” before the first season’s premiere, with production already underway on the follow-up.

The renewal was revealed during a panel with stars Hyun Bin, Jung Woosung and Woo Dohwan, alongside director Woo Minho, at the Disney+ originals preview at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort on Thursday. The streamer also confirmed that Season 1 will launch Dec. 24.

Set in 1970s Korea, the crime noir follows Baek Kitae, a KCIA agent leading a double life as a smuggler. The ambitious operative uses his illicit activities to climb the agency’s ranks while protecting his brother and amassing wealth. His ascent hits a roadblock when he faces off against an incorruptible prosecutor, setting up a high-stakes battle between the two men.

Hyun Bin (“Crash Landing on You,” “Confidential Assignment”) stars as agent Baek Kitae, with Jung Woosung (“12.12: The Day,” “Hunt”) playing prosecutor Jang Geonyoung and Woo Dohwan (“Bloodhounds,” “Mr. Plankton”) as Kitae’s brother Baek Kihyun.

The series is written by Park Eunkyo (“Sea of Tranquility,” “Mother”) and Park Joonseok (“A Normal Family”), with Woo Minho (“The Man Standing Next,” “Inside Men”) directing. Hive Media Corp (“Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12: The Day”) produces.

“Made in Korea” will debut with a two-episode premiere on Dec. 24, followed by episodes three and four on Dec. 31. Episode five drops Jan. 7, with the finale arriving Jan. 14. Season 2 is slated for late 2026.

The announcement came during Disney+‘s showcase of its upcoming Japanese, Korean and global content slate through 2026 and beyond, highlighting the company’s investment in international original programming for the platform.

November 13, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

‘Made In Korea’ Renewed For Second Season At Disney+, Release Date For S1 Unveiled

by jummy84 November 13, 2025

written by jummy84

Disney+ has renewed Korean crime series Made In Korea for a second season, with Season 1 debuting on the platform on December 24 this year.

Season 1 stars Hyun Bin (Crash Landing On You, Confidential Assignment), Jung Woosung (12.12: The Day, Hunt) and Woo Dohwan (My Puppy, Bloodhounds), who all appeared on stage at Disney’s APAC Showcase in Hong Kong.

Director Woo Min-ho reunites with Hyun Bin, who previously starred in Woo’s historical film Harbin.

Production has already begun on Season 2, which will premiere in late-2026.

Set in 1970s Korea, the first season of Made In Korea follows Baek Kitae (played by Hyun Bin), an ambitious KCIA agent who is living a double life.

Driven by his thirst for power, Kitae works as an agent by day and a smuggler by night. Suave, cunning and capable, Kitae rapidly moves up the ranks after using his smuggling operation to consolidate power, protect his brother (played by Woo) and generate vast sums of money for the agency.

Seemingly unstoppable, only one person stands in his way — a tenacious prosecutor, Jang Geon-young (played by Jung) who can’t be bought or bribed. With everything at stake for both men, the series will follow the duo as they look to take each other down.

Made in Korea is written by Park Eunkyo (Sea of Tranquility, Mother) and Park Joonseok (A Normal Family).

The series is produced by Hive Media Corp, with two episodes set to premiere on December 24.

Another two episodes will premiere on December 31, with one episode releasing January 7 and the finale debuting January 14.

November 13, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Sinclair CEO Rips Disney Over ABC Blackout for YouTube TV Users

by jummy84 November 6, 2025

written by jummy84

Chris Ripley, the CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, is tired of blackouts — specifically, the one currently keeping ABC programming from about 10 million YouTube TV subscribers. It is such a problem for him that, on a Wednesday conference call tied to his company’s summer 2025 earnings quarter, Ripley didn’t even talk about the Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspension he helped shepherd in September.

“We, as local broadcasters, have no say in whether our content and the content we pay to air will be distributed to local viewers,” Ripley said. “This was clearly not the intent of the Communications Act, and seems to be, from our perspective, an antitrust issue as well.”

Considering the Communications Act was written in 1934 to regulate interstate and foreign wire and radio communications, no, this clearly was not its intent. The act formed the FCC, the government agency that regulates broadcast TV networks, like Disney’s ABC.

These regular disputes over carriage fees (YouTube TV just got out of one with NBCUniversal) and sometimes the subsequent channel(s) blackouts “continue to hurt local viewers and … the ecosystem of local journalism,” Ripley continued.

Ripley believes his local ABC affiliates should still have their content, primarily news and sports, carried through to YouTube TV subscribers, regardless of Disney’s position. Or at least, maybe ask first? To that end, Ripley says he has spoken with both the SEC and antitrust regulators, and the FCC has “opened an investigation into hurtful network affiliation practices.”

“Disney/ABC and other networks should not be able to dictate to us whether we can or cannot distribute content to YouTube TV or even Hulu and Fubo, which, coincidentally are now also owned by Disney,” Ripley said. “Particularly concerning is that consumers are now being forced to buy more streaming services from one of the parties in the dispute to get the content that they literally already paid for.”

November 6, 2025 0 comments

Hollywood

Official Trailer for ‘A Very Jonas Christmas Movie’ Comedy on Disney+

by jummy84 November 4, 2025

written by jummy84

Official Trailer for ‘A Very Jonas Christmas Movie’ Comedy on Disney+

by Alex Billington
November 3, 2025
Source: YouTube

“Let it bro, let it bro, let it bro.” This looks so exceptionally cheesy. Disney+ has released an official trailer for a very cringe Christmas movie called A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, a holiday adventure comedy streaming later this month. They haven’t really made any new Jonas Bros movies in a while, but here we go, reminding us they still exist. Three famous brothers race against time and face mounting challenges during a chaotic journey from London to New York, desperate to make it home in time for Christmas with their loved ones. This musical comedy stars (obviously) the Jonas Brothers – Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, & Nick Jonas – along with Chloe Bennet, Billie Lourd, Laverne Cox, K.J. Apa, Andrew Barth Feldman, Andrea Martin, Kenny G 🎷, Justin Tranter, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Danielle Jonas, & Randall Park. This seems to be a Jonas / Disney+ riff on the classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but they have no on screen chemistry and the jokes are really, really bad. Have a look anyway though you’ve been warned.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Jessica Yu’s A Very Jonas Christmas, direct from YouTube:

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Poster

In A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families. A Very Jonas Christmas is directed by writer / producer / filmmaker Jessica Yu, director films The Conductor, Men of Reenaction, The Living Museum, Ping Pong Playa, Quiz Show previously, plus tons of work in TV including episodes of “This Is Us”, “Citadel”, “The Recruit”, “Only Murders in the Building” recently. The screenplay is written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger. It’s produced by Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Adam Fishbach, Spencer Berman, Scott Morgan, Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger. With music by Justin Tranter. Made by 20th Television & Disney Television. Disney will debut Jessica Yu’s A Very Jonas Christmas movie streaming on Disney+ starting November 14th, 2025 coming soon this fall. Anyone want to watch this?

Find more posts in: Streaming, To Watch, Trailer

November 4, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Disney+ Forges Content Partnership With CJ ENM’s Tving For Japan

by jummy84 November 4, 2025

written by jummy84

Disney+ has partnered Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ ENM to bring their originals on the Tving platform to the Japanese market.

From November 5 onwards, Disney+ Japan will offer up to 60 Tving titles and CJ ENM series, including Guardian: The Lonely and Great God and Reply 1988.

Thriller series Dear X, starring Kim Yoo-jung, Kim Young-dae and Kim Do-hoon, will also stream exclusively on Disney+ in Japan on November 6, simultaneous with its Korea debut.

Tving’s Korean content will add to Disney+’s current Korean slate, which includes hits like Moving, The Worst of Evil and Tempest.

Additionally, Disney+ Japan will add a dedicated feature on the platform’s home page, branded as “TVING Highlights,” sitting alongside Disney+’s franchises, blockbuster hits and premium originals.

Subscribers can also access a curated “TVING Collection” hub, which brings all of the Korean streamer’s titles together in one place.

“As we celebrate five years of Disney+ in Japan, we remain committed to expanding our content offerings to reflect the diverse preferences of audiences,” said Tamotsu Hiiro, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. “This collaboration with CJ ENM and TVING is a significant step forward in that journey. By combining CJ ENM and TVING’s compelling Korean storytelling with Disney+’s world-class portfolio of global blockbusters and local hits, we’re creating a richer viewing experience for viewers of all generations.”

Julie Choi, CEO of TVING, added: “Our partnership with Disney, which has a strong presence and deep history in Japan, is an opportunity to most effectively present TVING content to local viewers. We will continue to deliver compelling K-content to global audiences. Through this partnership with Disney, we aim to grow beyond Korea’s No.1 OTT into a truly global K-OTT platform.”

Tony Zameczkowski, Senior Vice President and General Manager, DTC (Direct-to-Consumer), Asia Pacific, The Walt Disney Company, said: “This collaboration with CJ ENM and TVING marks a pivotal moment in our regional content and partnership strategy.

“As Korean storytelling continues to captivate global audiences, we’re proud to bring CJ ENM and TVING’s most compelling series to Disney+ viewers in Japan. This partnership not only strengthens our Korean content offering but is the beginning of a broader opportunity to deepen our connection with audiences in one of the world’s most dynamic streaming markets.”

November 4, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Google Spurns Disney Request to YouTube TV Restore ABC on Election Night

by jummy84 November 4, 2025

written by jummy84

The war of words between Disney and Google continues — on the fourth day of the blackout of ESPN, ABC and other Disney networks on YouTube TV amid a fee dispute.

On Monday, Disney asked Google to offer ABC to YouTube TV customers on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to bring them Election Night coverage.

Google said no — and suggested instead that Disney allow YouTube TV to bring ABC and ESPN back on the air as the two sides hash out a new agreement, because those are ‘the channels that people want.”

“We agree that the right priority here is to give customers what they want. As you know from the many content disputes you’ve been part of, customers don’t want companies fighting and content blackouts. But unfortunately, your proposal would permit us to return Disney’s ABC stations only for a day and will cause customer confusion among those who may briefly see ABC on YouTube TV only to lose it again shortly after,” Google said in its response.

Google noted that “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.”

The statement continued, “Publicly resorting to the same tactic that Disney relied on in past disputes fails to acknowledge the distinction between YouTube and other distribution platforms. As you know, Disney can continue to livestream news information on the ABC News YouTube page, which has 19.1 million subscribers, and its ABC local stations can also do so on their YouTube pages.

“To truly achieve what is best for our mutual customers, we propose immediately restoring the Disney channels that our customers watch: ABC and the ESPN networks, while we continue to negotiate. Those are the channels that people want,” Google’s statement concluded.

If you agree with our proposal and give us approval, we can get our operational teams together and get these channels live in hours. Let us know how you’d like to proceed.

Disney said it has sent a proposal to Google for a YouTube TV deal renewal and is awaiting a response.

November 4, 2025 0 comments

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