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In a sudden disruption affecting millions, YouTube TV has removed several channels owned by The Walt Disney Company, including ESPN and ABC, amid a heated dispute over carriage terms.
YouTube TV, the streaming service operated by Google and favored by cord-cutters, took down all Disney-owned channels late Thursday night. This move is a direct result of ongoing negotiations between Disney and Google as they strive to secure a programming agreement that caters to millions of viewers nationwide.
On Thursday night, ESPN released a statement expressing disappointment, saying, “Google’s YouTube TV has unfortunately opted to deprive subscribers of their favorite content by rejecting fair compensation for our channels, including ESPN and ABC.”
The statement further explained the impact: “Without a new agreement, subscribers will miss out on our programming, which boasts premier live sports coverage, featuring the NFL, NBA, and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams in action this weekend.”
ESPN’s statement also criticized Google, highlighting the company’s significant market power: “With a market cap of $3 trillion, Google is leveraging its dominant position to stifle competition and undermine the industry-standard agreements we’ve successfully established with other distributors.”
YouTube TV and the Walt Disney Company have not reached a carriage agreement
This means that ESPN and ABC have now gone dark for over 10million Americans
The statement continued: ‘With a $3trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.
‘We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.’
In a statement posted in a series of tweets on Thursday evening, YouTube TV said, ‘Members, when we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair pricing to offer you the best TV experience. Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we’ll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s TV products.
‘Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV. This means you will no longer be able to watch channels like ABC and ESPN or access recordings from these networks in your Library.
‘We know how disruptive it is to lose channels you enjoy, and we’re committed to continuing to work with Disney to reach an agreement. If their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we’ll offer our members a $20 credit.’
The statement from YouTube TV was met with hundreds of responses from angry sports fans – many of whom said they are finding ways to cancel their subscriptions to the platform.
If an agreement is not reached before Saturday, millions of Americans will be without the ability to watch college football on one of the most packed weeks in the calendar.
The blackout comes days before a high-impact Week 10 for college football fans
In addition to college football, fans could miss this week’s Monday Night Football game
Among the games being carried on ESPN and ABC that would be blacked out on the platform include the following:
- No. 9 Vanderbilt @ No. 20 Texas
- No. 10 Miami (FL) @ SMU
- No. 5 Georgia vs. Florida
- No. 12 Notre Dame @ Boston College
- No. 15 Virginia @ Cal
- South Carolina @ No. 7 Ole Miss
- No. 8 Georgia Tech @ NC State
- No. 18 Oklahoma @ No. 14 Tennessee
- No. 17 Cincinnati @ No. 24 Utah
Additionally, if this issue lasts through the weekend, then NFL fans will be without this week’s ‘Monday Night Football’ contest between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys.
Outside of football, dozens of NBA and NHL games could be going dark for subscribers to the network. Next week also marks the beginning of college basketball season, with many games set to air on ESPN.
Over recent years, YouTube TV’s disputes over broadcast rights have frustrated sports viewers across the country.
This year, Google has been in carriage disputes with seemingly every single network with deep ties to sports, including Paramount (parent company of CBS), Fox, NBCUniversal, and TelevisaUnivision.
So far, Univision/TUDN – which broadcasts UEFA Champions League and LigaMX matches in Spanish – has yet to return to the platform. The other three disputes were solved before their respective deadlines.
