Disney dropped from YouTube TV following failed negotiations
All channels owned by Disney have been dropped by YouTube TV after the organisations failed to reach an agreement in time before their agreed-upon deadline.
A spokesperson for Disney suggested that their failed negotiations lay with YouTube, for allegedly being unwilling to pay fair wages for the Disney content.
They said, “Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC.”
Disney stressed that, though they are still working towards some kind of solution, some of the biggest sports lineups this weekend will not be available for YouTube TV subscribers.
Disney also used the opportunity to speak out against Google’s marketing strategies, which are unfairly “eliminating competition”. They shared, “Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming, which includes the best lineup in live sports — anchored by the NFL, NBA, and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams playing this weekend.”
The statement continued, “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. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.”
In turn, YouTube fired back, hitting out at Disney for using blackout threats as a negotiation tactic. They claim Disney is asking for too much money: “Last week Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers.”
They went on, “They’re now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV. This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.”
As a result, YouTube TV have been forced to concur to subscribers that they will provide a one-time $20 credit if Disney’s blackout lasts for “an extended period of time.”
Disney Channel, ABC, ESPN, ABC News Live, and FreeForm are among the channels that have been pulled, at least for the time being.
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