Disney CFO Hugh Johnston Says YouTube TV Fight Will Continue: “We’re Ready To Go As Long As They Want To”
As The Walt Disney Company presented its latest earnings report this morning, the ongoing carriage dispute with YouTube TV loomed large.
With the two media giants deadlocked for months, all Disney-owned stations went dark October 30 on YouTube TV, leaving over 10 million subscribers bereft of ESPN, ABC, and other popular networks.
Credit: ESPN
Despite hopes that the financial pressure on both parties would lead to a deal, the blackout shows no signs of ending.
“We’re Ready To Go as Long As They Want To”
Before Disney presented their FY2025 earnings report, CFO Hugh Johnston appeared on CNBC this morning to discuss their results.
Photo: Deadline
When asked about the standoff with YouTube TV, Johnston definitely stated that Disney was willing to continue the battle for as long as necessary.
Walt Disney Company
“We’re in the middle of negotiations right now. Things are live. They’re happening. Obviously, as we entered the year, we knew this was going to be a challenging battle and we prepared ourselves for it, and we’re ready to go as long as they want to,” he said.
Two Heavyweights
What differentiates the carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV from past conflicts is the sheer size of the two entities.
Photo: YouTube
When asked whether Disney lacked leverage due to the popularity of YouTube TV and the size of its parent company, Google, Johnston balked.
Photo: Variety
“This is ultimately about your customers, and, right now, YouTube customers are suffering without this critical content for them, right? Sports in the middle of football season is about as important as you can get. So, I think from that perspective, we perhaps have some leverage as well, because there are other places people can go to get that sports,” Johnston said.
The Crux of the Issue
While Disney and YouTube TV have painted vastly different pictures of their ongoing negotiations, the sticking points seem to be slim packages and streaming, specifically Disney’s new ESPN Unlimited.
Photo: ESPN
For his part, Johnston refused to dive into the specifics of the negotiations.
“I’m just not going to comment on the various elements of the negotiation. It’s a negotiation. There’s back and forth. They want certain things, you want certain things.”
Photo: Disney
Based on today’s statements, it does not sound like a deal is close.
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