YouTube TV loses ESPN, other Disney network after failing to reach new agreement
YouTube TV has failed to reach an eleven-hour deal with Disney to retain more than a dozen Disney-owned channels on live TV streaming service. As of December 18, popular networks including ESPN and ABC have been removed from the service. As promised, YouTube TV has reduced its subscription to $ 50 per month as a direct result of lost programming.
Disney said in a statement late Friday that after ongoing negotiations with YouTube TV, “they have refused to reach a fair agreement with us based on market terms.”
As a result, their subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of networks, including live sports and news plus programs for children, family and general entertainment from ABC, ESPN networks, Disney channels, Freeform, the FX networks and National Geographic. the channels “, the company added. “We are ready to reach a fair agreement with Google as soon as possible to minimize the inconvenience to YouTube TV viewers by restoring our networks. We hope Google will join us in this effort. “
In a blog post, YouTube TV said they would “continue talks with Disney to advocate on your behalf in hopes of restoring their content on YouTube TV.”[ads1];
“We have been negotiating in good faith with Disney for several months,” YouTube TV said. “Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal before our existing expiration date, and their channels are no longer available on YouTube TV.”
The announcement follows a message shared with subscribers earlier this week that the channels may disappear from YouTube TV on Friday 17. December if an agreement was not reached between the two companies. Should the negotiations have failed, YouTube TV said they would lower the price by $ 15 a month from the normal price of $ 65 per month to compensate for the change.
Earlier this week, a positive solution to the loss of service seemed likely. First, the service told subscribers in an email on Monday that House of Mouse “is an important partner for us,” adding that it hoped to negotiate a deal with Disney “provided we can achieve fair terms.” But the companies failed to reach an agreement when their current agreement expired after December 17.
The loss of over a dozen channels does not exactly help YouTube TV to remain competitive with other Internet cable services such as Hulu with Live TV or Fubo TV. Not only will a dozen plus channels be deleted from the service, but the list of Disney-owned properties that will be removed is extensive, including not only Disney channels, but FX, ESPN and National Geographic channels as well.
The complete list of channels that left because an agreement was not reached includes the following:
- Your local ABC channel
- ABC News Live
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- Free form
- FX
- FXX
- FXM
- National Geographic
- National Geographic Wild
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPN3 (when authenticating to the ESPN app)
- ESPNU
- NEWS
- SEC network
- ACC network
Transport disputes are frustratingly common in our new streaming landscape, and they often play out in public before a solution is reached – as was the case recently with YouTube TV and NBCUniversal-owned channels. Less often, two parties fail to reach an agreement, and it is the consumer who ends up paying the price by having to look for a new supplier if they want support for their favorite programming.
