Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and Disney announced on Friday that they have successfully reached an agreement. This new deal means that content from ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels will return to Google’s YouTube TV streaming service. The agreement ends a two-week dispute that began on October 31.
The disagreement left many YouTube TV subscribers without access to popular live sporting events, including college football games and two Monday Night Football matchups. Over 20 Disney-owned channels disappeared from the service, including major networks like FX, NatGeo, Disney Channel, and Freeform, as well as ABC and ESPN. YouTube TV offered its subscribers $20 credits to make up for the disruption during this period.
“We are happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney,” YouTube stated. The company said the deal protects the value of its service for subscribers and gives them future flexibility in their offers. YouTube expects channels like ABC, ESPN, and FX to return to service throughout the day, along with any previously recorded content in subscribers’ libraries. YouTube apologized for the inconvenience and thanked subscribers for their patience during negotiations.
Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, also released a statement. They said the agreement shows how audiences prefer to watch entertainment. They expressed pleasure that their networks were back online in time for fans to enjoy a weekend full of great programming, especially college football.
The main point of contention between the two entertainment giants was the fees Disney charges YouTube TV for carrying its networks. ESPN, Disney’s most valuable channel, costs more than $10 per pay-TV subscriber per month, making it the highest fee of any network in the U.S.
This isn’t YouTube TV’s first negotiation battle this year. In October, the service nearly lost NBCUniversal content before both companies struck a deal, preventing shows like “Sunday Night Football” from being pulled. YouTube TV also faced a similar standoff with Fox in August, narrowly avoiding a blackout of Fox News, Fox Sports, and other Fox channels right before the college football season began.
YouTube mentioned it has the option for future programming deals with Disney and other partners. Disney added that base plan YouTube TV subscribers will get access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited, which includes ESPN+ content and new digital service content, at no extra cost by the end of 2026.
