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Update 11/9: YouTube TV is issuing $20 credits to make up for the loss of Disney programming. The amount should be automatically applied to your account.
“We are working in good faith to negotiate an agreement with Disney that pays them fairly for their content and returns their programming to YouTube TV. We know losing Disney content is frustrating, and we want you to know that we deeply appreciate your patience,” YouTube TV said in a Sunday email to subscribers.
The streamer acknowledged that some people wanted to cancel their subscriptions to it, and provided a link for them to do so. In the meantime, he says, “We will continue to negotiate with Disney to restore our channels on YouTube TV.”
Original story 10/31:
Bad news for YouTube TV users: A significant portion of video programming from ABC and ESPN is unavailable due to Google and Disney’s failure to reach a licensing deal.
On Thursday night, YouTube TV parent Google announced it was losing access to Disney content, including Disney Channel, FX, and NetGeo, after negotiations to renew the content’s licensing broke down.
(Credit: Google)
Google is blaming the Mickey Mouse Company. “Unfortunately, Disney is proposing expensive economic terms that will raise prices on YouTube TV subscribers and give our customers less choice, while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products like Hulu+ Live TV and, soon, Fobo,” the company wrote in a blog post.
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Google also claimed that Disney raised the “blackout threat” as a negotiating tactic last week before following up on Thursday. But Disney tells The Associated Press that Google refuses to pay a fair rate for valuable content
“With a market cap of $3 trillion, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and reduce industry standard terms that we have successfully negotiated with every other distributor,” the company reportedly said.
Disney is also lobbying consumers to complain to YouTube TV. Even ESPN host Scott Van Pelt tweeted a link to a dedicated webpage that offers different ways users can access the Google-owned service. Meanwhile, YouTube TV says it is still committed to working with Disney on reaching a licensing deal.
Recommended by our editors
According to Deadline, Disney has asked YouTube TV to restore ABC on Tuesday so people can tune in to the Election Day coverage.
Every month for YouTube TV base plan. At 82.99 is already quite valuable, which is about a year ago per month. 72.99 had increased. Google says that if Disney “makes content unavailable for an extended period of time, we will offer our customers a $20 credit.”
Google’s support page also notes: “Recordings of Disney content (on YouTube TV accounts) will be removed. If we are able to reach an agreement with Disney and bring their content back to YouTube TV, users will have access to recordings that were previously in their library.”
We just went through this with YouTube TV and Fox in August. The two reached an agreement before dropping the channels.
The best YouTube TV alternative
Not interested in waiting for Google and Disney to resolve their differences? Hulu’s collection of on-demand and live TV streaming video services is our Editors’ Choice winner, but here’s the full list of live TV streaming services PCMag’s editors recommend (plus options for NFL fans):
About our expert
Michael Kahn
Senior reporter
Experience
I have been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite Internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware and more. I am currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s StarLink satellite Internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also regulatory battles over expanding satellite constellations, battles with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and efforts to expand satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and reached out to remote corners of California to test StarLink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling its personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint Investigation Along with the motherboard
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. Now I’m following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump into the comments with feedback and send me pointers.
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