YouTube TV has pulled Disney-owned channels from its platform—and there’s no indication of when they’ll return.
The programming change took place this weekend, after Google and Disney failed to reach an agreement before their contract expire at midnight Friday. YouTube TV announced the removal in a statement Saturday, explaining why customers no longer had the option to watch Disney properties like ESPN, ABC, Freeform, and National Geographic.
“We’ve held good faith negotiations with Disney for several months,” the company wrote in a blog. “Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we’ve been unable to reach an equitable agreement before our existing one expired, and their channels are no longer available on YouTube TV [...] We know this is frustrating news for our customers, and not what we wanted. We will continue conversations with Disney to advocate on your behalf in hopes of restoring their content on YouTube TV.”
In a previous blog post, Google indicated that money was the main reason they struggled to reach an agreement. The tech giant claimed Disney wanted to increase fees for its channels, and refused to offer the same rates given to other services in “similar size.” According to the Boston Globe, YouTube TV is said to have about three million subscribers.
Disney shared their own statement, expressing their willingness to hammer out a deal: “We stand ready to reach an equitable agreement with Google as quickly as possible in order to minimize the inconvenience to YouTube TV viewers by restoring our networks. We hope Google will join us in that effort.”
As the companies continue negotiations, YouTube TV has reduced the price of its monthly base plan from $64.99 to $49.99. The platform suggested the $15 discount will remain in place until Disney networks return.
