Disney will return to YouTube TV after record-breaking dispute
After two long weeks, Disney channels are returning to YouTube TV after a dispute that led to the longest blackout in Disney’s history.
At the end of October, it was reported that the two organisations failed to reach an agreement in time before their agreed-upon deadline. This resulted in all channels owned by Disney being dropped from YouTube TV.
Channels impacted included Disney Channel, ABC, ESPN, ABC News Live, and FreeForm, among many others.
At that time, a spokesperson for Disney suggested that their failed negotiations lay with YouTube, for allegedly being unwilling to pay fair wages for the Disney content.
On the other hand, YouTube claimed that Disney was using blackout threats as a negotiation tactic. They claim Disney was asking for too much money.
Finally, the two companies have reached a new agreement. Now a united front, Disney Entertainment’s chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, released a statement celebrating the news.
They shared, “This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch.”
The deal was made on the brink of the Thanksgiving football season, which is one of the biggest draws of the joint service. Their statement continued, “We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”
The Disney channels should now be back up and running for users, as well as any recordings previously kept in the library function.
It is not yet clear whether YouTube TV will provide subscribers with a one-time $20 credit, which they had previously said they would do should Disney’s blackout lasted for “an extended period of time.”
Their lengthy dispute lasted 15 days. This makes it Disney’s longest blackout in history; the second-longest was 13 days, when the organisation hit many hurdles while negotiating with DirecTV.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.