- Google is facing a distribution dispute with Disney, which could result in all Disney-owned programming being blocked on YouTube TV.
- The deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET on October 30, and Disney has already issued warnings about the possible blackout.
- If a deal is not reached, Google has said YouTube TV subscribers will be offered a $20 credit if Disney content remains unavailable for a time.
Google’s YouTube TV is facing another distribution dispute, and this time it’s taking on Disney.
As things stand, YouTube TV risks losing all content owned by Disney subsidiaries. If the companies don’t reach a new deal before the current distribution deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 30, all Disney-owned content will be blacked out, including programming from ESPN, ABC and more.
Last week, Disney issued a warning saying it would run public announcements on YouTube TV, as well as its numerous social media platforms, to warn viewers about the potential blackout. Disney shared with Variety that Google’s inability to reach a new deal puts YouTube TV subscribers “at risk of losing the most valuable networks they signed up for,” adding:
“This is the latest example of Google exploiting its position at the expense of its own customers. We invest significantly in our content and expect our partners to pay fair rates that recognize that value. If we don’t reach a fair agreement soon, YouTube TV customers will lose access to ESPN and ABC, and all of our major programming, including the NFL, college football, NBA and TV seasons. NHL, and much more.”
In the case of YouTube TV, the service is asking for better rates from Disney as a result of its growing popularity and scale: it has a reported subscriber count of 10 million. Since Disney expressed its side of the dispute, YouTube issued its own statement in response to Disney’s warning.
A YouTube blog post notes that it “has been working in good faith” with Disney to ensure fair treatment for its content on YouTube TV. But where YouTube is struggling to come to a solid agreement on the prices Disney is asking in return:
“Unfortunately, Disney is proposing costly economic terms that would increase prices for YouTube TV customers and give our customers fewer options, while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products, such as Hulu + Live TV and, soon, Fubo,” YouTube added in its statement.
As a result, Disney content will be removed if the two cannot reach an agreement before the October 30 deadline. However, YouTube has offered some assurance that subscribers will be compensated with a $20 credit if Disney programming “remains unavailable for an extended period of time.”
This isn’t the first time YouTube TV has found itself in the middle of a distribution dispute. In fact, this is the fourth time this year that YouTube has faced tensions with other streaming providers.
In February, Google and Paramount had a public dispute, which meant channels like CBS and Nickelodeon were at risk of being removed from YouTube TV. Similarly, Google and Fox began fighting in August over their own carriage deal, which would have been a frustrating loss for NFL fans.
Fortunately, Google reached a deal that allowed the aforementioned providers to remain present on YouTube TV, but the same is yet to be confirmed with Disney.
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