YouTube TV and Disney spent more than two weeks attempting to work out a new deal, which meant more than two weeks of consumers with a YouTube TV subscription going without ESPN, ABC, FX, and many other Disney-owned channels. Now, just one day after a Disney exec boasted about having "leverage," a deal has been struck to bring the programming options back to YouTube TV before the end of the 2025 TV schedule.
On November 13, Deadline reported comments from Disney CFO Hugh Johnston, which track with the existence of options for entertainment outside of YouTube TV, such as an ESPN Unlimited subscription and other streamers with access to sports coverage. At the time, Johnston said:
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 sport.
While full details of the deal that was finalized not long after the CFO made the company's stance clear may never be made public, YouTube TV sent out an email to subscribers on November 14 to report that they're "happy to share that we’ve reached a deal with Disney to bring their content back to YouTube TV." The message went on to state that they "sincerely appreciate your patience, and we’re happy to have reached a deal that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers."
Per the statement, the deal guarantees access to Disney channels (including ABC and ESPN), as well as any recordings that were already in subscribers' Libraries before the negotiations removed them for viewing. Preferences and recommendations are as they were left, so all seems back to normal after those fifteen days of negotiation. These are the networks that should be restored for subscribers:
- ABC
- ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
- Freeform
- FX/FXX
- Disney Junior
- SEC Network
- Nat Geo/Nat Geo Wild
- Disney Channel
- FXM
- ABC News Live
- Disney XD
The email also included a reminder that subscribers can still claim the $20 credit for YouTube TV until December 9, which was first offered earlier this week as consumers went longer and longer without the Disney-owned options that had originally come as part of the package they paid for.
According to Deadline, the new deal is multi-year, with ESPN Unlimited included as part of a subscription. "Select offerings" will feature the duo bundle of Hulu and Disney+, while there will also be genre-specific packages offering certain networks. A statement from Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro reads:
This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch. 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.
The timing is certainly right for fans of college football; the restoration of ESPN and other Disney sports offerings was announced on the Friday night ahead of a weekend with many games, including Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh on ABC, Virginia vs. Duke on ESPN2, and Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State on ESPN Unlimited, to name just a few.
The Disney channels are already available back on YouTube TV as of the evening of November 14, so subscribers can plan on tuning in to college football over the weekend as well as the many other options on ABC, ESPN, FX, the Disney Channel, and more.
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