YouTube TV subscribers, your channels and your football are back. Disney and YouTube said Friday evening that the two companies had reached an agreement. On October 30, YouTube TV subscribers lost all Disney channels, including ESPN and ESPN2. Those who wanted to watch the NFL or college football on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 or Disney family hits like Bluey had to find other alternatives.
“We are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and the future flexibility of our offerings,” a YouTube spokesperson said. “Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service throughout 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.”
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The companies stated in the statement that they have entered into a multi-year agreement and are already restoring channels on YouTube TV.
According to YouTube, subscribers should see restored content and saved recordings within the next 24 hours. So if they haven't returned to you yet, they should be soon.
I myself am a YouTube TV subscriber, and as of 5:30 pm PT on Friday, Disney, ESPN, and others have been restored for me. As a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan (yes, I know), I've temporarily added Fubo TV, but I won't be keeping that subscription.
According to the statement, the deal will include restoration of channels and other items. The unlimited consumer version of ESPN's new service will now be available at no additional cost to YouTube TV subscribers. Subscribers will also have access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited on YouTube TV. Additionally, some networks will be included in different bundles for different genres, and the Disney Plus Hulu Bundle will be included as part of some YouTube offerings.
“This new agreement reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving the way audiences choose to watch,” Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “This recognizes the tremendous value of Disney programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with greater flexibility and choice. “We're pleased that our networks were restored in time for fans to enjoy many great programs this weekend, including college football.”
The Disney-owned channels were shut down on October 30 when the agreement between the two companies expired.
According to Hollywood ReporterThe 25-day power outage was Disney's longest in recent memory.
Here is the full list of channels that were removed due to the controversy:
- ABC
- ABC News Live
- ACC network
- Baby TV Español (Spanish plan)
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- ESPN
- ESPN Deportes (Spanish plan)
- ESPNews
- ESPNU
- ESPN2
- Free form
- Forex
- FXM
- FXX
- local
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish plan)
- Nat Geo Wild
- Shopping center network
