Overview
- YouTube said ABC, ESPN, FX and other Disney channels are returning throughout the day, with previously removed DVR recordings restored.
- ESPN Unlimited will be available to YouTube TV base-plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026, with select live and on-demand programming surfacing inside the service.
- The pact allows YouTube TV to create genre-based channel tiers and to offer the Disney+ and Hulu bundle within select plans.
- The outage began when the prior deal expired Oct. 30 and lasted about 15–16 days, during which subscribers missed college football and two Monday Night Football games as YouTube TV issued a one-time $20 credit.
- Negotiations centered on fees, packaging and most-favored-nation provisions, with reports of Bob Iger and Sundar Pichai joining talks; financial terms were not disclosed and analysts estimated Disney lost several million dollars per day during the blackout.