Disney Channels Pulled From YouTube TV After Licensing Dispute
Millions of subscribers in the United States have lost access to Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ABC, National Geographic, and the Disney Channel, after negotiations between Disney and YouTube TV collapsed over a fee dispute.
The blackout began shortly before midnight on Thursday, the deadline for the two media giants to reach a new licensing agreement. The standoff affects roughly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers nationwide.
Disney accused YouTube TV – which is owned by Google – of refusing to pay what it described as “fair rates” for its programming. In a statement, a Disney spokesperson said the company had reached “industry-standard terms with every other distributor” and accused Google of “using its market dominance to undercut” those agreements.
YouTube TV pushed back, saying Disney’s demands would make the service more expensive for users. “Disney’s proposed terms disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products,” the company said, referring to Disney’s competing streaming platform, Hulu + Live TV.
The tech firm also announced that if the blackout continues for an extended period, it will offer subscribers a $20 credit as compensation.
Both companies said they remain committed to finding a resolution and restoring the affected channels, but the disagreement highlights growing tensions between streaming platforms and traditional media companies over carriage fees.
The dispute follows several similar clashes this year between YouTube and major networks. Earlier this month, Google narrowly avoided a similar blackout by striking a last-minute deal with NBCUniversal to keep shows like Sunday Night Football on YouTube TV. Agreements with Paramount and Fox were also reached in recent months.
As negotiations continue, subscribers are left without access to some of the most popular sports and entertainment programming in the US – a setback for YouTube TV during one of the busiest viewing seasons of the year.
