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In a massive and sudden blow to subscribers, YouTube TV and Disney have failed to reach a new contract agreement. As a result, 21 major Disney-owned channels—including essentials like ESPN, ABC, and FX—went dark on the service last night, October 30th. This is the nuclear option in a carriage dispute, and the fallout for subscribers is pretty nasty.
Your DVR library from these channels is also gone
This isn’t just a loss of the live channels. As of last night, all existing DVR recordings and on-demand content from these 21 channels have also been removed from your library. If you had a season of an FX show or a dozen college football games saved, they are now gone. The full list of affected channels is long, but the major losses include:
- ABC
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- FX
- FXX
- FXM
- Freeform
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- National Geographic
- Nat Geo Wild
- SEC Network
- ACC Network
- And several Spanish-language channels
Why is this happening?
As with all of these cable and streaming disputes, this comes down to money and terms. Google has been in heated, last-minute negotiations with partners like Fox and NBC recently, but this one with Disney fell apart.
On a support page, Google stated that it will “not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products”. This is a clear jab at Disney, which owns and operates a direct competitor, Hulu + Live TV. Reports also indicated that Google was seeking better pricing and a shorter contract than the industry standard.
What happens now?
- Compensation: Google has promised that if the channels remain unavailable for an “extended period of time,” subscribers will receive a $20 credit.
- Your Recordings: There is one small silver lining. Google has confirmed that if a new deal is eventually reached, all of your prior recordings from these channels will be automatically restored to your library.
It’s unclear when, or even if, this blackout will end. These disputes are a an ugly, frustrating part of the streaming TV world, but this is one of the most significant channel losses YouTube TV has ever experienced. For now, subscribers are left without some of the most popular sports and entertainment channels on the platform.
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