Disney content fades away on YouTube TV, Subscribers to the Google-owned live streaming platform have been denied access to major networks like ESPN and ABC.
This is because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep the Disney Channel on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of US college football matchups over the weekend, as well as NBA and NFL games – adding to other news and entertainment disruptions that have already occurred.
Meanwhile, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney Channel may have little choice but to turn to traditional broadcasts or the company’s own platforms — which come with their own price tags.
Here’s what we know.
Disney content was removed from YouTube TV after the carriage agreement expired on Thursday. The two parties have been unable to reach a new agreement to continue licensing Disney channels on the platform – resulting in the current blackout.
YouTube TV says Disney is proposing terms that would be too expensive, resulting in higher prices and fewer options for its customers. Google’s streamers have accused Disney of adopting “the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic” — and claimed the move also benefits Disney’s own streaming products like Hulu+ Live TV and Fubo.
Meanwhile, Disney says YouTube TV has refused to pay fair rates for its channels — and so it is “choosing to deprive its customers of the content they value most.” The California entertainment giant accused Google of “using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms that we have successfully negotiated with every other distributor.”
In a Friday note to employees, Disney Entertainment co-presidents Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said YouTube TV removed Disney content “prior to the midnight expiration of our deal” Thursday night — and noted that the platform also removed subscribers’ pre-recorded programming. The Associated Press contacted Google for further comment.
ESPN and ABC are among the biggest networks that YouTube TV subscribers can no longer access amid the controversy.
And beyond those top sports and news offerings, other Disney-owned content now dark on the platform includes channels specific to American college athletic regions like the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference. NatGeo and FX are also affected.
Here’s a summary of the full list as outlined by YouTube TV:
Google says streamer add-ons like 4K Plus and Spanish Plus are also affected.
Consumers can continue to watch Disney’s sports programming on the company’s own ESPN offerings — but it will come with an additional cost. As for streaming, the network launched its own platform under the same ESPN name earlier this year, with pricing starting at $29.99 per month.
Other Disney content can be found on platforms like Hulu, Disney+, and fubo. Again, they come with their own price tag. Disney also allows people to bundle ESPN with Hulu and Disney+ for $35.99 per month — or $29.99 per month for the first year.
Disney also directed customers to a website called KeepMyNetworks.com to explore other options, which include more traditional broadcast services.
But if you’re a YouTube TV subscriber and don’t have one of these streaming subscriptions or broadcast offerings, you may be deprived of access to this Disney content as long as the outage continues. YouTube TV said it would give subscribers a $20 credit if Disney content is unavailable “for an extended period of time.”
The base subscription plan of YouTube TV costs $82.99 per month. Beyond Disney content, the platform currently offers live TV from NBC, CBS, Fox, BBC, PBS, Hallmark, Food Network, and other networks.
YouTube TV and Disney have acknowledged that the disruption is disappointing — and both say they are still committed to finding a solution. But only time will tell.
The current blackout is the latest in a growing list of licensing disputes that affect consumers’ access to content.
From sporting events to awards shows, live programming that was once reserved for broadcast has increasingly made its way into the streaming world over the past few years – as more and more consumers are abandoning traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions for content they can get online. But renewing carriage agreements could also mean tense contract negotiations, especially amid increasing competition in the space.
YouTube TV and Disney have gone down this path before. In 2021, YouTube TV subscribers lost access to all Disney content on the platform after a similar contract between the two companies was broken. That blockage lasted less than two days, with the companies eventually reaching an agreement.
The last few standoffs have been short and limited to just a few hours – or a way was found to temporarily sidestep the disruptions at the last minute. For example, in August, YouTube TV reached a “short-term extension” in its contract dispute with Fox, and the two later reached a new licensing deal.
published – November 03, 2025 08:37 AM IST