ESPN and ABC are back on YouTube TV after Disney and Google reach a new deal

After a frustrating two weeks for subscribers, the Disney and YouTube TV blackout is finally over. The two companies announced on Friday that they have reached a new “multi-year” agreement, and all Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ABC, FX, and more, have already begun returning to the service.

The channels went dark on October 30th after the previous carriage deal expired, leaving both sides at the negotiating table and subscribers without access to key sports and entertainment. The standoff was reportedly so contentious that the CEOs of both Disney (Bob Iger) and Google (Sundar Pichai) had to get involved to get the deal across the finish line.

What YouTube TV is saying

In an update to its subscribers, the YouTube TV team expressed relief and apologized for the disruption, emphasizing that the new deal preserves the service’s value for customers:

We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers. Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.

What Disney is saying (and the new perks for subscribers)

Disney’s statement confirmed the restoration of its full portfolio of channels and also shed light on some significant new benefits for YouTube TV subscribers that are part of this new agreement. Most notably, the deal includes future access to ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service.

ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service (Unlimited Plan) to be made available at no additional cost to YouTube TV subscribers.

The deal also opens the door for new bundle options, including the ability to add the Disney+ and Hulu Bundle as part of “select YouTube offerings.” This signals a much deeper, more flexible partnership between the two companies moving forward.

What this means for you right now

The most important takeaway is that your channels are back. YouTube TV also confirmed that any of your previous recordings from these channels that were in your Library should be restored.

While the $20 credit that was promised for an “extended” outage won’t be happening now that the channels are back, the good news is that the new deal doesn’t come with an immediate price hike. And for sports fans, the future inclusion of ESPN’s “Unlimited Plan” at no extra cost is a win that will definitely add some value to the subscription down the road.