Adam Birney / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube TV and Disney are sparring over content distribution rights following the expiration of their contract last month.
- Movies, TV shows, and 21 channels disappeared from YouTube TV as a result, but Disney content is also vanishing from more Google platforms.
- Users can no longer buy or rent Disney content from YouTube, Google Play, or Google TV as the negotiations continue.
Google and Disney are amid a tense content rights battle that saw 21 channels disappear from YouTube TV last week. Disney is using its strong content portfolio, which includes ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic, as leverage in the negotiations. Now, it appears Disney is pulling its owned media from all of Google’s digital storefronts, not just YouTube TV’s live television service.
Movies and TV shows owned by Disney or its subsidiaries are no longer available for purchase or to rent on Google Play, YouTube, or Google TV, as spotted by 9to5Google. Users will only be able to watch Disney-owned content on those platforms if they previously purchased them or have an active Disney Plus subscription.
Landing pages for Disney media, such as the 2017 movie Coco, are still active. However, only the Add to wishlist and Play trailer buttons remain. Other films and series from different media companies and studies have Buy, Rent, and Family Library options available on their landing pages, like the 2011 movie Moneyball.
Google has three main arms for distributing movies and TV shows separate from YouTube TV. Digital content can be purchased from the Google Play Store, YouTube, or Google TV. These arms help Google compete with digital storefronts like Amazon’s Prime Video or Apple’s iTunes Store.
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The scope of disappearing Disney content across these platforms extends far beyond well-known Disney, Pixar, and Marvel properties. Anything made by Lucasfilm or 20th Century Fox also remains unavailable for the time being, regardless of whether the particular movie or show was made prior to Disney’s purchase of those studios. Additionally, media from Disney’s lesser-known studios like Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures is also affected, as 9to5Google points out.
The appearance of Disney-owned content on Google services depends on which one a user tries to access. Disney media and live TV channels are completely gone from YouTube TV following its contract expiration on October 30. The Google Play Store will still show landing pages for Disney movies and shows, but YouTube may not. Google TV will also show stubs for Disney movies and TV shows, but users can only watch them if they’re subscribed to Disney Plus or own them outright.
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