Overview
- The blackout that began late Oct. 30 continues Nov. 1, removing ABC, ESPN and 20+ Disney networks from roughly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers, with many reporting deleted DVR recordings.
- YouTube TV says Disney sought higher rates that would raise customer prices, while Disney accuses Google of refusing fair market terms and leveraging its scale to undercut industry norms.
- Deal talks involve fees and packaging models such as genre-based bundles, with reported friction over potential inclusion of the new ESPN Unlimited service.
- YouTube TV is offering a one-time $20 credit if the outage persists for an “extended period,” as subscribers lose access on the platform to college football, NBA, NHL and Monday Night Football.
- ESPN made College GameDay available free on X and in the ESPN app to reach fans, while Sunday Ticket buyers tied to a YouTube TV base plan are effectively stuck if they try to switch providers.