As the election nears, Disney is officially requesting that YouTube TV bring ABC back to its service. The network was removed from the platform last week due to a disagreement between the two companies.
The disagreement between YouTube TV and Disney started on October 30th and revolves around how much it costs to renew their deal and the price of the services. After failing to come to terms, YouTube TV removed channels like ABC and ESPN, which are owned by Disney. According to Variety, Disney wants to charge more to carry its channels, but Google (which owns YouTube TV) would like to offer different subscription options, allowing viewers to choose which channels they want and potentially pay less for those they don’t.
Disney announced it has asked to temporarily restore certain services to cover the upcoming election.
Even though we haven’t been able to reach an agreement with YouTube TV, causing the current service interruption, we’ve requested they bring ABC back on air for Election Day. It’s important that people have access to election information, and we hope YouTube TV will do this for their subscribers as a temporary measure while we continue negotiations for a fair deal.
YouTube TV did not provide comment to Variety before publication.
Timeline of Events
Here’s a breakdown of what happened leading up to Disney asking YouTube TV to restore ABC‘s broadcast for Election Day.
- October 30th: YouTube TV removes Disney channels after negotiations stall
- Following days: Disney activates alternative access options for some content, including airing ESPN’s “College GameDay” on social platforms and its mobile app without a cable subscription
- November 4th: Election Day in the United States, when most broadcasters will carry live results and analysis
You can still watch ABC News on ABC News Live and through their website and app, but it’s no longer available on the live channel within YouTube TV.
Subscriber Impact
The current disruption impacts those who subscribe to the basic YouTube TV plan, which costs $82.99 a month. YouTube TV has stated it will offer a $20 credit if the Disney channels aren’t restored after a prolonged outage.
Alternative Sources and Limited Leverage
Disney is publicly asking YouTube TV to bring back the ABC channel before the election, but their ability to actually make that happen seems limited, despite what they’re saying.
YouTube TV subscribers have options beyond ABC for election night news. The service continues to offer live coverage from major networks like CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS in many areas, including election results, expert analysis, and local news broadcasts.
Plus, with digital streaming and mobile devices, viewers have even more choices. The ABC News Live app, their website, social media, and other internet TV services offer alternatives to watching on YouTube TV’s regular channel.
YouTube TV claims Disney is trying to increase prices and promote its own streaming services, like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo, through these negotiations. They believe Disney is threatening to pull its content as a tactic to get a deal that would ultimately cost YouTube TV’s customers more.
This argument implies that Disney doesn’t have complete control in the situation because its channels being removed from YouTube TV doesn’t automatically make other streaming services fail. Instead, viewers might simply switch to different platforms or networks if the issue isn’t resolved quickly.
While Disney presents its request as being for the public good, it doesn’t necessarily give them a strong advantage in negotiations from a business perspective.
Broader Industry Context
Disney’s current disagreement with Google over channel access isn’t unique. Other media companies like Paramount, Fox, and NBCUniversal recently went through similar negotiations with YouTube TV, with some almost experiencing service interruptions. However, channels from Univision and TelevisaUnivision are still unavailable because they haven’t been able to reach an agreement with YouTube TV this year.
The current dispute is happening as streaming services and traditional TV channels struggle with increasing costs for shows and movies, changes in the advertising world, and viewers reacting to higher subscription prices. Because election coverage usually attracts a huge live TV audience in the U.S., both sides have a strong reason to find a solution soon.
What it Means for Viewers
YouTube TV customers who watch ABC for election night coverage might need to find alternative sources, like ABC News Live or other news channels, in case ABC doesn’t come back before the voting results are available. Both YouTube TV and ABC are still working to reach an agreement.
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2025-11-04 00:57