Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- 20+ Disney-owned channels have been taken off YouTube TV after the two companies failed to renew licensing terms.
- The list includes several channels under ABC, ESPN, and Nat Geo labels, in addition to Disney’s.
- YouTube says it will refund subscribers $20 if the channels are off the network for too long.
YouTube TV is already among the most expensive live digital TV services on offer in the US. And it’s about to pinch its subscribers a little more as it has failed to renew its deal with Disney.
Following a public spat from last week, when YouTube accused Disney of arm-twisting it, the two parties have failed to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal. With this, more than 20 channels from Disney’s network, including multiple ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic channels, have been removed from the live TV platform.
Here’s the complete list of channels:
- ABC
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- Freeform
- FX
- FXX
- Disney Junior
- SEC Network
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Wild
- Disney Channel
- ESPNU
- FXM
- ABC News Live
- ACC Network
- Disney XD
- Localish
- ESPNews
- ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
- Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
- Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
YouTube shared this update via a blog post, condemning Disney for using “the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices” for YouTube TV subscribers. However, a Wall Street Journal report (paywalled) from earlier this week portrayed YouTube as the culprit for demanding special agreements with shorter terms than the industry standard, as well as lower rates comparable to those of larger cable TV distributors, such as Comcast. Meanwhile, Disney reportedly believes that it is the providers, such as itself, that make YouTube TV worth the high subscription fees.
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With YouTube TV’s agreement expiring on October 30, and the negotiation talks in a stalemate, there’s no saying when — and if — Disney’s channels will return to the platform. YouTube insists it has been “working in good faith” to reach a fair deal with the streaming giant.
We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV.
However, if the channels stay off its network for long, YouTube plans to discount users. It has promised a $20 credit, and it supposedly applies to monthly fees — after all, it’s losing access to 20 of the most-watched channels.
That said, we could see Disney and YouTube TV strike a deal following some negotiation, as the latter did with NBCUniversal, Fox, and Paramount earlier this year. However, YouTube might want to be observant of the fact that its strategy to swing dirt at content providers may not be successful, and that is something it needs to replace with better negotiation tricks.
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