YouTube TV Disney Channels Warning: Potential Loss of Access

YouTube TV Faces Potential Disney Channel Blackout

Following the recent resolution of its dispute with Roku, YouTube is now engaged in a new negotiation, this time with Disney. The company has alerted YouTube TV subscribers to a potential loss of access to all Disney-owned channels if a new distribution agreement isn't reached by the week's end.

YouTube TV’s existing contract with Disney is set to expire on Friday, December 17th. Should an agreement not be finalized by this date, subscribers will be unable to view 18 channels owned by Disney, encompassing their local ABC affiliate, ABC News Live, The Disney Channel, FX, ESPN, and numerous others.

Impacted Channels

The disruption would extend beyond live broadcasts to include on-demand content. A comprehensive list of affected channels includes Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXX, FXM, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, and ACC Network.

Essentially, a failure to reach a consensus will significantly reduce the breadth of programming available on YouTube TV. The company intends to mitigate the impact on users by adjusting its monthly subscription fee.

Pricing Adjustments and Options

Instead of the current $64.99 monthly charge, YouTube TV plans to reduce the price to $49.99 per month for the duration of the Disney content outage. This price reduction will be applied as compensation for the lost channels.

Subscribers will retain the option to pause or cancel their subscriptions if they desire. Alternatively, those wishing to continue accessing Disney content can subscribe to The Disney Bundle, priced at $13.99 per month.

Negotiation Dynamics

Previous negotiations between YouTube and Roku involved concerns beyond financial considerations. Roku alleged that YouTube sought expanded access to user data and preferential positioning on its platform. The specifics of the final agreement regarding these demands remain undisclosed.

However, the current negotiations with Disney appear to center primarily on pricing, a common point of contention in these types of agreements. Previously, such disputes were often resolved discreetly, preventing service interruptions.

Increasingly, companies are utilizing their subscriber base and potential public dissatisfaction as leverage in negotiations. Roku employed this tactic during its recent dispute with YouTube, and YouTube is now adopting a similar approach.

YouTube’s Stance

According to a YouTube blog post, “Disney is an important partner for us and we’re in active conversations with them and working hard to keep their content on YouTube TV.”

YouTube asserts its request to Disney is for equitable treatment, seeking the same rates offered to other television providers of comparable size for Disney’s channels, for as long as those channels are carried.