YouTube TV subscribers — including thousands across North Texas — lost access to ESPN, ABC, National Geographic, and over a dozen other Disney-owned channels after the companies failed to reach a new distribution deal.
The blackout, which began late Thursday, affects major sports coverage, including college football games on Saturday and upcoming NBA, NFL, and NHL contests. YouTube TV, the largest U.S. internet TV provider with more than 9 million subscribers, warned viewers of the dispute for weeks through on-screen messages.
YouTube TV’s parent company, Google, said Disney demanded higher fees that would drive up prices for subscribers. In a blog post updated just before midnight, YouTube accused Disney of yanking its channels to steer viewers toward its own streaming services, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
“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,” the company said, the Associated Press reported.
YouTube TV said it will credit subscribers $20 if Disney content stays dark for an extended period. The service’s base plan costs $82.99 per month.
Disney countered that YouTube TV refused to “pay fair rates” and accused the company of “using its market dominance to eliminate competition,” according to Axios.
“With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor,” Disney said in a statement, AP reported.
Disney emphasized that major college football matchups — including several Top 25 teams — will be affected this weekend, adding that it hopes to reach a resolution quickly.
The dispute marks the fourth major content standoff for YouTube TV since August. The service has faced similar threats from Fox Corp. and NBCUniversal and remains at an impasse with TelevisaUnivision.
One reported sticking point involves whether Disney would allow YouTube TV to distribute its streaming content within the platform — a concession Disney has little incentive to grant as it builds its own services. YouTube is also considering a separate sports and broadcast package.
Unlike traditional cable providers, virtual pay-TV services face fewer regulations — giving YouTube TV flexibility to push for cheaper, more modern streaming deals.