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Disney and YouTube TV Strike Multi-Year Deal to Restore ABC and ESPN After Two-Week Blackout

The agreement includes future ESPN Unlimited access within YouTube TV’s base plan at no extra cost, preserving options for genre-based channel packages.

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 25: (L - R) Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit speak during the broadcast of ESPN's College GameDay at Vanderbilt University on October 25, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
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Brandon McManus #17 of the Green Bay Packers misses a 64 yard field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisc.

Overview

  • Disney channels, including ABC, ESPN and FX, are returning to YouTube TV over the course of the day, with cloud DVR recordings restored within 24 hours.
  • The blackout lasted roughly 15–16 days and was the longest programming interruption involving Disney networks, affecting about 10 million subscribers.
  • The new pact covers all ESPN networks, Disney-branded channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic, and allows select Disney networks to be placed in genre-specific packages.
  • ESPN Unlimited will be included for YouTube TV base subscribers by the end of 2026 at no additional cost, with some programming viewable within the YouTube TV app experience.
  • Financial terms were not disclosed; analysts estimated Disney lost about $4.3 million per day during the outage, while YouTube TV issued a $20 bill credit offer to subscribers.