Disney and YouTube Dispute Explained: Why Subscribers Are Unhappy

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As a TV critic, I’m frustrated to report that YouTube TV and Disney are currently in a standoff. This means viewers have suddenly lost access to major channels like ABC and ESPN. It’s really bad timing too, right in the middle of the TV season! We’re talking about missing out on shows everyone’s talking about – things like Monday Night Football, Grey’s Anatomy, and even Abbott Elementary. Hopefully, they can resolve this quickly, but right now, subscribers are stuck without these channels until a new deal is reached.

Disney has faced criticism before for decisions affecting what viewers can watch, like when “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was temporarily pulled from ABC last September. But this current situation is larger and more upsetting for customers. People aren’t getting the channels they’re paying for during this outage, which is especially frustrating because services like YouTube TV were promoted as alternatives to traditional cable.

Why ABC and ESPN Aren’t on YouTube TV


ABC

On October 23rd, YouTube TV announced that Disney was threatening to remove its channels from the service if they couldn’t reach an agreement in their contract talks. A week later, on October 30th, YouTube TV confirmed that Disney had followed through with the threat and the channels were no longer available. YouTube TV stated they would be removing Disney content and offered customers a $20 credit if the channels weren’t restored quickly.

We’ve been trying to reach a fair agreement with Disney regarding the cost of their shows and movies on YouTube TV. However, Disney is asking for terms that would likely increase prices for our customers and limit what they can watch. This would also benefit Disney’s competing live TV services, such as Hulu + Live TV and Fubo, which are launching soon.

After YouTube TV declined their offer, Disney stated that YouTube was letting down its viewers by refusing to pay a reasonable price for their channels. Disney Entertainment leaders Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro, then sent a memo to employees explaining that YouTube’s decision wasn’t in the best interest of its customers. The memo stated:

YouTube TV’s behavior demonstrates a lack of respect for its customers and reflects their approach throughout our discussions. It’s clear that YouTube TV and Google aren’t aiming for a reasonable agreement; they seem determined to stifle competition and diminish the value of the content that made their service successful.

Disney requested that YouTube TV temporarily restore access to ABC on November 4th so viewers could watch election coverage. Disney argued that serving the public interest was paramount and hoped YouTube TV would make this small accommodation while they continued negotiating a long-term deal. However, YouTube TV responded that briefly restoring ABC would be confusing for customers. They also pointed out that most subscribers hadn’t used ABC for election coverage in the past, and ABC could broadcast coverage directly on its own YouTube channel.

YouTube TV Subscribers Miss News, Sports, and Shows


ABC

A disagreement between YouTube and Disney is causing problems for YouTube TV customers. They’ve lost access to several channels, including ABC and all ESPN networks, as well as FX, National Geographic, Freeform, and channels like the ACC and SEC Networks, plus Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior. This is happening at a bad time, right in the middle of the fall TV season and college football.

As a big TV fan, I’m really bummed to hear that YouTube TV subscribers are currently missing out on all things ABC. It’s terrible timing too, because shows I love like 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy just started their new seasons with some major episodes! And it’s not just dramas – comedies like Abbott Elementary and Shifting Gears are back too, and I can’t watch those on YouTube TV right now. To top it off, The Golden Bachelor is winding down, and I’m going to be left wondering what happens at the end if this isn’t resolved soon. It’s a real pain for anyone who relies on YouTube TV for their ABC shows.

YouTube TV customers are now unable to watch Monday Night Football games because ESPN is no longer available on the service. Even former NFL star JJ Watt commented on the issue online. In addition to football, YouTube TV subscribers will also miss college football, NBA, and NHL games that normally air on ESPN.

How To Watch ABC and ESPN


ABC

Whether YouTube TV customers can easily keep watching channels like ABC and ESPN may depend on how they feel about Disney’s recent requests for more money. If customers believe Disney’s demands were reasonable, they’ll have several options for continuing to watch. But if they feel Disney acted unfairly, it might be harder to find ways to watch those channels without indirectly supporting the company.

If viewers want live TV, they can switch to services like DirecTV, Sling, or Philo. While it’s a hassle to sign up for something new, this ongoing conflict between streaming services doesn’t seem to be resolving anytime soon. Hulu + Live TV and Fubo are other choices, but Disney owns Hulu + Live TV and plans to combine it with Fubo next year. Traditional cable is also an option, but it’s often complicated and doesn’t offer the ease that most live TV viewers are looking for.

The disagreement between YouTube and Disney is causing viewers to jump through hoops to watch their favorite shows. Some fixes are easy – you can often find ABC programs on Hulu the next day. Others require more effort, like buying an antenna for $10 to $20 to watch local ABC channels, especially for shows like Monday Night Football. There are also show-by-show solutions; for example, you can watch ABC’s election coverage live on YouTube. Dancing with the Stars streams live on Disney+, but other ABC reality shows don’t have a similar option.

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2025-11-06 01:19