After a two-week blackout, YouTube TV and Disney announced Friday that they had reached an agreement.
In addition to the return of Disney networks such as ABC, ESPN, and FX to YouTube’s streaming TV service, the deal also allows ESPN to make new direct-to-consumer services available on YouTube TV at no additional charge. YouTube may also sell select Disney networks and Disney+/Hulu bundles as part of various packages.
Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement that the deal “recognizes the tremendous value of Disney programming and provides more flexibility and choice for YouTube TV subscribers.”
Disney executives added, “We are pleased that the network has been restored in time for fans to enjoy many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”
YouTube also issued a statement Friday, saying subscribers can expect affected channels to be restored “throughout the day.” The company also said it “apologizes for the disruption and appreciates the patience of our subscribers as we negotiated on their behalf.”
YouTube TV is intended to serve as a cable TV alternative for cord cutters, but like most cable TV providers, the service has had its share of disputes with major content providers. It’s usually about how much you pay for the service and the flexibility you have in offering content in different bundles.
There was a similar (albeit much shorter) outage when YouTube and Disney last renegotiated in 2022. This time, YouTube offered customers a $20 credit to apply to their next bill.
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One survey even suggests that 24% of the service’s more than 10 million subscribers have already canceled or plan to cancel their subscriptions soon as a result of Disney’s outage. (A YouTube spokesperson said actual cancellations are “manageable and inconsistent with our findings.”)
In fact, TechCrunch’s Amanda Silberling said her life was ruined when she couldn’t watch Jeopardy! due to the power outage. Thankfully, her two-week nightmare is over.
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