Overview
- More than 20 Disney-owned networks, including all ESPN channels and ABC, have been dark on YouTube TV since just after midnight Friday, affecting roughly 10 million subscribers.
- The Cardinals–Cowboys game is scheduled to air on both ESPN and ABC tonight, raising the prospect that many YouTube TV customers will miss Monday Night Football.
- Disney leadership told employees they are seeking "fair rates" and accused Google of trying to eliminate competition and devalue Disney content, while a YouTube TV executive described Disney’s stance as unnecessarily aggressive.
- YouTube TV has offered customers a $20 credit as the blackout continues, and viewers are shifting to alternatives such as antennas for local ABC, ESPN Unlimited, or other live-TV bundles.
- Talks hinge on per-subscriber fees and streaming access terms, marking the most consequential carriage fight since Disney’s 2024 dispute with DirecTV, even after YouTube TV reached recent deals with Fox and NBCUniversal.