What you need to know
- YouTube TV subscribers miss key sports and election coverage due to Disney and Google's ongoing dispute.
- Frustration grows as users express disappointment over the situation and its impact on content access.
- Alternatives like Hulu and DIRECTV emerge as solutions for viewers seeking to watch impacted channels.
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YouTube TV subscribers hoped that the dispute between Google and Disney would conclude before Monday (Nov. 3). However, it appears the ongoing issue resulted in subscribers missing both the football game on ESPN and the election day coverage on November 4 on ABC.
The two streaming giants are currently at odds, leaving fans frustrated and angry as they are caught in the midst of this rift. To give you a quick rundown of what the situation looks like right now, Disney recently asked that YouTube TV restore access to ABC just for a day.
Google denied that request with a public statement, saying that Disney's proposal would "cause customer confusion" since the channel would disappear after that.
But, Google proposed that Disney restore both ABC and ESPN indefinitely for its users while the negotiations continue between the two. Following the removal of these channels from YouTube TV, Google started issuing credits to subscribers as compensation.
Subscribers miss out on key sports and election coverage
Users took to Reddit to vent, filled with disappointment and uncertainty, and one of them stated that they're extremely unhappy with the way things have been playing out.
"Disney wants to funnel any viewers who want to watch CBB/CFB to ESPN+/Fubo/Hulu, and now I can't watch football this weekend, and if they don't figure out the contract dispute by early next week, I won't be able to watch UK's season opener. I am unhappy," they stated.
Despite being offered the credit, some users feel it is insignificant when compared to the loss they've incurred, and were particularly "pissed" about losing content during peak sports season, with comments mentioning "corporate greed" and saying they "hate them both" (Disney and YouTube TV) for the standoff.
YouTubeTV no longer streaming ESPN and Disney owned channels, Google offering $20 credit "if their content is unavailable for an extended period of time" from r/CollegeBasketball
On the other hand, some say that Disney is deliberately creating this issue during football season, with the goal that several YouTube TV subscribers would probably direct their frustration towards YouTube instead of Disney. Others, however, feel that this is a tactic by large corporations to raise subscription prices right after a deal has been reached.
The last time YouTube TV raised its base subscription price was in December 2024, when the price increased from $72.99 to $82.99 per month. Disney's core streaming plans also saw a significant price increase that took effect on October 21 this year.
For now, all Disney content remains unavailable on YouTube TV, forcing subscribers to seek out other ways to tune into these channels. Many users feel they are being used as pawns in the ongoing negotiations between Disney and YouTube TV. They feel frustrated at the lack of consideration for their access to crucial content, especially major sporting events, despite having paid for these services well in advance.
Other services like DIRECTV have jumped on this opportunity to keep users connected on Election Night and other major games. As for ABC, Disney's Hulu with Live TV subscription gives users access to the channel.
