Overview
- Disney executives told staff there is still no agreement, signaling a second sports‑heavy weekend without ABC and ESPN for roughly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers.
- YouTube publicly proposed immediately restoring ABC and the ESPN networks while negotiations continue, saying the channels could return within hours if Disney agrees.
- Disney says it offered an overall lower‑cost deal and customized channel packages, while YouTube accuses Disney of seeking above‑market rates and misrepresenting the facts.
- A Drive Research survey found 24% of YouTube TV users have canceled or plan to cancel if ESPN remains unavailable, and YouTube has pledged a one‑time $20 credit if the outage persists.
- Viewership is shifting during the blackout, with some games benefiting rival broadcasters, as YouTube TV’s rising scale as a leading pay‑TV provider shapes the negotiating dynamics.