Disney blasts YouTube TV for making “few concessions” as the biggest TV blackout in a decade enters Day 8, leaving 10 million subscribers without ESPN, ABC, FX, and 18 other channels just as college football rivalry week kicks off.
In a fiery Nov. 7 memo, Disney chiefs Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, and ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro accused Google of “insisting on preferential terms that are below market” while refusing flexible sports-only or family-tier packages Disney says it has granted to 500+ other distributors—including giants far larger than YouTube TV.
The standoff began October 30 when talks collapsed over carriage fees. Disney wants rates that reflect ESPN’s $10B+ annual sports bill; YouTube TV calls the ask “unprecedented” and warns it would force yet another price hike on consumers already paying $83/month.
YouTube TV is dangling a $20 credit and slashing its effective price to $63 for now, while ESPN stars Stephen A. Smith and Scott Van Pelt rally viewers to a Disney petition site.
History says resolution is near—Disney’s last two big fights (Charter ’23, DirecTV ’24) ended after 11 and 13 days—but neither side is blinking. Disney gains sign-ups at Hulu + Live TV and Fubo; Google, backed by $2 trillion in market cap, can out-wait anyone.
Quick workaround: Grab an antenna for ABC, stream ESPN via the new ESPN app ($10.99/mo), or jump ship to Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, or DirecTV Stream—each still carries the full Disney lineup.
Grab the popcorn; the Mouse and the algorithm are still swinging.