The Blackout Is Over: Disney and YouTube TV Reach New Carriage Deal
Two weeks after all Disney-owned stations went dark on YouTube TV, the blackout has ended.
Late last night, the two media giants agreed to a multi-year carriage deal that restored ESPN, ABC, and other popular channels to nearly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers.
Photo: Variety
“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers,” YouTube TV said in a statement.
Photo: YouTube
“Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.”
The ESPN Solution
As part of the new agreement, ESPN’s entire sports lineup will be added to the YouTube TV base plan for no additional cost by the end of 2026.
Photo: ESPN
This will include access to ESPN Unlimited.
Finally, YouTube TV will see the selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited added to the platform.
New Packaging
Outside of ESPN, the big sticking point between the two entities was “slim” packaging.
Credit: Also ESPN
As part of the new deal, “select” Disney networks will be included in various genre-specific packages that YouTube TV will launch in the future.
Additionally, Disney+ and Hulu will be added to select YouTube offerings.
Photo: Hulu
“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,’’ Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a joint statement.
Photo: Also Disney
“It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”
Photo: MickeyBlog
