On December 17, YouTube announced that they had failed to negotiate for their deal with Disney. As a result, the streaming giant’s live cable service, YouTubeTV, pulled the plug on more than a dozen Disney-owned channels, including ESPN.
To make up for the loss and stay true to their promise, YouTube has decreased their base monthly plan by $15, making it now available at $49.99 instead of the previous $64.99.
However, subscribers who loved YouTubeTV for its easy accessibility to Disney-owned ESPN and ABC don’t care much about the discount.
If they are sports fans, the frustration is through the roof as the decision arose at the beginning of the bowl season.
YouTube announced that they were “unable to reach an equitable agreement,” even after negotiating the deal for “several months.” As a result, all YouTubeTV subscribers lose access to major channels such as ESPN and ABC. Any past library recordings would also be inaccessible.
Disney-owned channels that are off YouTubeTV now are:
- Local ABC Channel
- ABC News Live
- Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD
- Freeform
- FX, FXX, FXM
- National Geographic, National Geographic Wild
- ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNEWS
- SEC Network
- ACC Network
Comments under YouTube’s announcement have turned into a spectacle. Some people are quick to jump to substitutes such as Hulu TV, Fubo TV, and others, while some are demanding the Google-owned streaming service to get their act together and land a deal with Disney. Meanwhile, others “just want sports” and do not care about shifting to other platforms.
With the ever-increasing competition in streaming and cable space, YouTubeTV was by far multiple people’s go-to cable choice.
The recent fall-out contract deal with Disney makes them look for other options, like Hulu (also Disney-owned). However, there is still some hope, as the company mentioned that they would “continue conversations” to restore Disney content.
News Source: YouTube
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