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YouTube TVDisney Standoff Enters Week 2 as ESPN, ABC Stay Dark for 10 Million

Negotiations over fees and streaming access remain unresolved, fueling ratings declines alongside rising churn risk.

Overview

  • YouTube says it will immediately restore ABC and the ESPN networks during talks, while Disney’s proposal to briefly bring back ABC for Election Day was declined.
  • ABC’s college football windows fell an average 32.5% week over week and Monday Night Football averaged 16.2 million viewers, down 21% from last year’s comparable game.
  • Apptopia data shows Sling TV, Fubo and DirecTV app usage by YouTube TV users each climbed to over 35% after the Oct. 30 blackout.
  • A Drive Research survey reports 24% of YouTube TV subscribers have canceled or plan to cancel, with 82% saying they are likely to cancel if the outage continues.
  • Disney is estimated to be losing about $5 million per day during the blackout, and YouTube TV has pledged a one-time $20 credit if the disruption persists.