More than 20 Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ABC, and Nat Geo, have been removed from YouTube TV following the expiration of their content distribution agreement at 11:59 PM ET on October 30th. As of now, it remains uncertain whether Google and Disney will negotiate a new deal.
The removal of the channels stems from disagreements over carriage fees. Google indicated in a blog post that Disney’s proposed terms were financially burdensome and would result in higher costs for YouTube TV subscribers. The post was updated shortly before the contract expired, suggesting that Disney had carried out threats to withdraw its channels, which Google referred to as a negotiation tactic.
In a statement, Google acknowledged the disappointment and frustration felt by subscribers and expressed a desire for Disney to work towards a fair agreement that would restore the channels. The company has offered subscribers a $20 credit if Disney’s content remains unavailable for an extended period.
The channels that have been removed from YouTube TV include ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, SEC Network, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, ABC News Live, ACC Network, and Localish. For subscribers on the Spanish plan, channels such as ESPN Deportes, Baby TV Español, and Nat Geo Mundo have also been affected. This removal impacts both live broadcasts and any saved recordings in users’ libraries.
Disney, in a statement to Variety, alleged that YouTube TV’s actions deny subscribers access to valuable content by refusing to meet fair pricing terms. The company also accused Google of leveraging its market power to undermine competition and industry-standard contracts.
A similar situation between Google and Disney arose in 2021 at the conclusion of a previous contract. In contrast, NBCUniversal recently announced that it had successfully renewed its agreement with Google, thereby preventing its channels from being removed from YouTube TV.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/811316/youtube-tv-disney-channels-pulled-deal-renewal