ESPN, ABC, FX and everyone else DisneyChannels owned by the owner are still unavailable on YouTube TVas the two companies continue to fight over contracts with no end in sight.
The controversy stems from the “carriage fee” that Google pays Disney to stream its channels on YouTube TV. Disney has faced similar negotiating standoffs with other broadcasters in the past, including Spectrum/Charter Cable in 2023 And DirectTV in 2024.
Disney asked YouTube TV to reinstate ABC for its coverage of Tuesday's US election, but YouTube TV rejected the request on Monday. IN blog postYouTube said that offering one channel for just 24 hours “will lead to customer confusion among those who may briefly see ABC on YouTube TV but soon lose it again.”
YouTube went a little further in its disavowal message, noting that viewers have many options to follow election news on YouTube TV and commenting: “During the last two days of the US election, the vast majority of YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC.” Oh.
Instead, YouTube TV offered to “immediately restore the Disney channels our customers watch, ABC and ESPN, while we continue negotiations.”
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Disney claims YouTube TV doesn't pay enough to stream its channels. YouTube TV, owned by Google, has most subscribers of all other Internet TV providers – more than 9 million. Disney-owned Hulu is second with 4.3 million subscribers thanks to its Hulu + Live TV offering.
Which Disney channels have been removed from YouTube TV?
Football fans aren't the only viewers left behind by the loss of Disney channels from YouTube TV. Here are all the channels which have been removed from streaming service:
- 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
When will Disney Channels be reinstated on YouTube TV?
As with previous disputes with Disney, negotiations are being kept secret, although both companies have criticized each other on social media and online. Based on Disney's contract conflicts in previous years—Sling TV in 2022, Spectrum/Charter in 2023, and DirecTV in 2024—the shutdown may only last a few days, but Google has significantly more bargaining power than other platforms.
Thursday, October 30, YouTube TV published on X“Members, as we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair prices to offer you the best TV experience.” The service also said it would offer subscribers a $20 credit “if their content is unavailable for an extended period of time.” Updates on the dispute can be found at this YouTube TV page.
“Google YouTube TV has chosen to deny its subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay a fair price for our channels, including ESPN and ABC,” Disney said this in a statement to CNBC..
This was also in the memo to employees on Friday. CNBC reports thisDisney accused YouTube TV of removing “previously recorded shows and events from its subscribers' libraries.”
“YouTube TV and its owner, Google, are not interested in reaching a fair deal with us,” Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the memo. “Instead, they want to use their power and exclusive resources to eliminate competition and devalue the very content that helped them create their service.”
Disney is also asking its viewers to ask YouTube TV to resume streaming via keepmynetworks.com website.
How can YouTube TV subscribers watch football games during the Disney shutdown?
YouTube TV subscribers with an over-the-air TV antenna can still watch Monday Night Football and college football games on ABC if they live close enough to receive an over-the-air signal from their local ABC affiliate.
Beyond that, the only real option for viewers to watch MNF at home is to subscribe to another service that provides ABC and ESPN, including ESPN+, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo or DirectTV Stream. Sling TV offers a $5 day pass. this could be a good option for viewers who want to watch one specific game, or for a $10 weekend ticket that gets you college football on Saturday and NFL on Sunday.
For those looking to find local football matches, this is a convenient application can help you find places that are showing games.
Correction, November 5.: An earlier version of this story did not mention that Sling TV day passes can only be used to watch local ABC affiliates in certain markets.
