As many expected, YouTube TV and Disney couldn’t come to an agreement, so ESPN, ABC, and other Disney channels are now unavailable on the service. However, if the channels remain unavailable for a while, YouTube TV will give everyone a $20 credit.
Whenever disagreements happen between TV networks and streaming services, everyone expects you to choose sides. ESPN asked its host, Scott Van Pelt, to encourage viewers to visit Keep My Networks, a website designed to let people easily complain to YouTube TV. YouTube TV, which is owned by Google, responded by saying they won’t agree to deals that are bad for their customers but help Disney’s channels.
The dispute is, predictably, about money. But the details this time are so ridiculous, they could only happen within the current, frustrating TV landscape – the one where cable and streaming services combine to benefit only huge companies.
Disney has introduced a new streaming service called ESPN Unlimited. It’s separate from Disney+ and Hulu, and offers live access to ESPN channels, a wide range of games, and other content from their library. If you already get ESPN through a cable provider like YouTube TV, you’ll automatically have access. Otherwise, you can subscribe for $30 a month, or look for a more affordable package.
It might seem like a benefit for existing ESPN customers, but it’s not so simple. After securing exclusive rights to broadcast all of WWE’s major events and other programs, ESPN stated that some cable companies and their viewers wouldn’t be able to watch it until new agreements were reached. Conveniently, Hulu + Live TV, also owned by Disney, quickly reached an internal agreement to include ESPN Unlimited.
YouTube TV is one of several companies that needs to agree on new pricing with ESPN, even though ESPN had initially claimed it wasn’t necessary. Those negotiations haven’t happened, and the previous agreement expired last night. As a result, YouTube TV customers have lost access to both the standard ESPN channel and the new ESPN app.
I’m not taking sides in this dispute, as I haven’t been involved in the negotiations and don’t know if Disney’s offer is reasonable. What I can say is that this fight between two major companies, with all of us caught in the middle, perfectly illustrates how awful the current system is for consumers. It’s become a truly frustrating experience – and it’s somehow even more expensive and complicated than cable ever was.
It feels like every month brings new frustrations with streaming and sports. Prices keep going up, they’re adding ads, or canceling shows we enjoy – and now, games are moving to yet another subscription service. It’s incredibly frustrating because things are simultaneously becoming more expensive and offering less value.
I’m not taking sides in this dispute, but I’m really angry with both Disney and Google. It’s frustrating to pay so much money to these huge companies every year and then be unable to watch something like Monday Night Football because they can’t resolve their issues. They need to get this sorted out.
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2025-10-31 17:13