Viewers who have preferred to get their television via a YouTube TV subscription have been out of luck for nearly two weeks now, with the streamer at an impasse with Disney. This means that for days, subscribers haven't been able to watch any shows on ABC, ESPN, FX, Nat Geo, and more. While a deal still hasn't happened, YouTube TV has issued a $20 credit for subscribers who have been affected, and the info on how to redeem that credit is pretty straightforward.
How To Redeem The $20 Credit
On Tuesday, November 11, YouTube TV subscribers received an email with instructions on how to redeem the credit for $20 off their next bill. Per the message, the company has been working "in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content and returns their programming to YouTube TV." The credit is being issued "in light of the disruption," with these instructions given:
To redeem your credit, please go to the ‘Updates’ tab in Membership Settings using your web browser, and follow the prompts. Once complete, this discount will be applied to your next bill for YouTube TV.
Per the email, the goal is that "YouTube TV continues to be your service of choice," noting that family members "have the ability to pause or cancel" at any point if the failure to find terms with Disney is a dealbreaker. Negotiations between YouTube TV and Disney are continuing, so now it's a waiting game to see if and when channels like ESPN and ABC will be back for viewing live and recording on demand.
The Issue Between YouTube TV And Disney
The problem goes back to the end of October, which delivered some scary news that had nothing to do with Halloween. YouTube TV broke the news that an attempt to renew contracts with Disney hadn't been successful prior to the deadline. The streamer's X account posted:
Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we'll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s TV products. Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV. This means you will no longer be able to watch channels like ABC and ESPN or access recordings from these networks in your Library. We know how disruptive it is to lose channels you enjoy, and we’re committed to continuing to work with Disney to reach an agreement. If their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we'll offer our members a $20 credit.
Well, YouTube TV has certainly made good on the promise of a $20 credit if the Disney deal couldn't be finalized for an "extended period of time," but that's likely not the news that subscribers were hoping for as November continues. The affected channels include (but are not limited to):
- ABC
- ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
- Freeform
- FX/FXX
- Disney Junior
- SEC Network
- Nat Geo/Nat Geo Wild
- Disney Channel
- FXM
- ABC News Live
- Disney XD
While those are big losses across the board, the loss of ESPN hit hard for sports fans. Disney launched another service, called ESPN Unlimited, earlier this year, but without the convenience of being part of a package like YouTube TV. Initially, the reports were that users who already had ESPN through cable providers (like YouTube TV) would gain access to the app as part of the existing subscription. That changed afterwards, however, with YouTube TV among the providers who would need to renegotiate rates to hang on to the programming.
So far, consumers are the ones who are losing. YouTube TV did announce a discount offer after a weekend without any live sports for subscribers. Meanwhile, Hulu + Live TV extended a massive deal for newcomers to a Hulu subscription. Notably, the Hulu + Live TV subscription would come with a Disney+ subscription as well as access to the ESPN Unlimited app. Despite all of this, other platforms are allegedly experiencing boosts, including Sling, Fubo, DirecTV on top of Hulu and ESPN.
All of this is to say that YouTube TV subscribers have been out of luck for a while now, and the email about the $20 credit didn't come with promising news about when ESPN, ABC, and the other channels will be back on the platform. It continues to be a waiting game for anybody determined to stick it out with YouTube TV. If the wait is dragging on too much... well, an ESPN Unlimited subscription (independent of a bundle with Hulu and Disney+) costs $29.99 per month.
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