YouTube TV loses ESPN, ABC, and all other Disney-owned channels

YouTube TV customers have lost access to all Disney-owned channels including ESPN and ABC, as the companies failed to agree on a new contract before the previous one expired last night. YouTube TV customers will automatically get a $15-per-month discount for as long as the Disney channels remain blacked out, reducing the base plan cost from $65 to $50.

"Members, we worked hard to avoid this but were unable to reach a fair deal with Disney," YouTube TV said. "We regret to share that as of December 17, all Disney-owned channels are unavailable on YouTube TV. While Disney content remains off our platform, we'll decrease our price by $15/month. We know how frustrating it is to lose channels like ESPN and your local ABC station, and will continue conversations with Disney in hopes of restoring their content for you."

The list of channels no longer on YouTube TV includes all local ABC channels, ABC News Live, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, and ACC Network. YouTube TV posted details on how credits will be issued on this webpage.

"If you want to continue watching some of Disney's content, consider signing up for their own service, The Disney Bundle, which they offer for $13.99/month and which is subject to its own terms and restrictions," YouTube TV said.

YouTube TV sought price guarantee

As we reported a few days ago, the Google-owned YouTube TV was seeking a most-favored-nation (MFN) clause from Disney. "Our ask to Disney, as with all our partners, is to treat YouTube TV like any other TV provider—by offering us the same rates that services of a similar size pay, across Disney's channels for as long as we carry them," YouTube TV said at the time.

YouTube TV nearly lost NBCUniversal channels in another recent dispute. But in that case, YouTube and NBC agreed to a short extension to avoid a blackout when the original contract expired, and then struck a new multiyear deal.

There was no extension to prevent a blackout in the ongoing YouTube TV/Disney dispute, but both companies said they still hope to reach a new agreement.

"We've been in ongoing negotiations with Google's YouTube TV and unfortunately, they have declined to reach a fair deal with us based on market terms and conditions," Disney said in a statement sent to news outlets. "As a result, their subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of networks including live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming from ABC, the ESPN networks, the Disney channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the National Geographic channels. We stand ready to reach an equitable agreement with Google as quickly as possible in order to minimize the inconvenience to YouTube TV viewers by restoring our networks. We hope Google will join us in that effort."

Add Comment

Panamanian Port Operators Emphasise Automation and Regional Integration at the Maritime Intelligence Conference in Colombia

Leading executives from the Panamanian maritime sector are negotiating new terminal partnerships and discussing port automation technologies at the TOC Americas logistics confer...

Panama Launches Upgraded Investment Migration Programmes to Attract International Capital and Remote Technology Workers

The Panamanian government has revamped its digital nomad and residency-by-investment visa frameworks, aggressively targeting affluent North American expatriates and internationa...

Panama and Costa Rica Sustain Coordinated Humanitarian Bus Corridors to Secure the Orderly Transit of Northern Migrants

Immigration ministries in Panama and Costa Rica are maintaining highly structured overland transit protocols, using chartered bus convoys to move remaining asylum seekers safely...

Central American Logistics Corridors Face Mounting Pressure to Resolve Cross-Border Freight Bottlenecks Hampering Panamanian Trade

Regional logistics operators are demanding modernised digital customs systems and unified border controls as heavy administrative delays along the Pacific Corridor continue to a...

Panama Deepens Strategic Nearshoring Appeal Through Expanded Mercosur Trade Integration and Central American Diplomatic Alliances

Regional economists report that the ongoing integration of Panama into the Mercosur trade bloc is intensifying pressure on neighbouring Central American nations to modernise cus...

United States Deploys Humanitarian Aid to Panama Following Major Earthquake off the Azuero Peninsula

International disaster response teams are delivering over twenty-eight thousand pounds of emergency relief supplies to coastal communities after a magnitude seven-point-seven ea...

Panamanian Banking Regulators Tighten Financial Technology Compliance Standards to Protect United States Dollar Correspondent Access

The Superintendency of Banks of Panama is intensifying anti-money laundering scrutiny on emerging financial technology platforms, enforcing stricter compliance frameworks to saf...

Tocumen International Airport Exceeds Fourteen Million Passengers as Regional Aviation Connectivity Rebounds

Aviation authorities confirm that Tocumen International Airport handled more than fourteen million transit and destination passengers over a nine-month period, reflecting strong...

Maersk Restructures Gulf Ocean Express Shipping Services to Enhance Cargo Connectivity Through Panamanian Ports

Global shipping company Maersk has updated its regional maritime networks, integrating new direct calls at the ports of Balboa and Manzanillo to streamline container movements b...

Panamanian Service Exports Surpass Eleven Billion United States Dollars Driven by Double-Digit Growth in Transportation and Logistics

The Panamanian Ministry of Commerce and Industries announced that service exports expanded by nearly thirteen percent during the first half of the year, reflecting robust global...

Tocumen International Airport and SATS Sign Strategic Agreement to Expand Air Cargo Connectivity Between Asia and the Americas

Regional aviation hub Tocumen International Airport has formalised a memorandum of understanding with global ground handler SATS to develop new international freight flows, incr...

Panama Canal Authority Allocates One Billion United States Dollars to Accelerate Maritime Decarbonisation and Digital Transformation

Canal administrators have detailed a massive investment strategy to upgrade maritime scheduling algorithms and establish green shipping corridors, offering financial incentives ...

PanamaTimes