The battle between YouTube TV and Disney has reached a fever pitch, and it's the subscribers to Google's streaming cable offering who are ultimately suffering.
Some of the most popular channels are under the Disney umbrella, and YouTube TV is a popular way to consume cable in the streaming age. ESPN is the channel most people talk about when Disney's offerings are pulled, but several more beloved channels will also be missed.
Of course, it's worth noting that these disputes are usually resolved within a couple of days, so you might want to pause before canceling YouTube TV. However, there are other live TV streaming services to try if you do want to ditch Google's offering due to these missing channels.
Channels no longer on YouTube TV
There are more than 20 channels missing from YouTube TV, which subscribers were accustomed to having at their fingertips. Yes, YouTube TV still offers a wide range of channels, but the absence of Disney options significantly weakens the lineup when compared to the best live TV streaming services.
Here are all the channels that are missing until Google and Disney reach a kind of agreement:
- ABC
- ABC News Live
- ACC Network
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- Freeform
- FX
- FXX
- FXM
- Localish
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Wild
- SEC Network
And users on the Spanish plan will also miss out on the following:
- ESPN Deportes
- Baby TV Español
- Nat Geo Mundo
Obviously, most people will be annoyed by the loss of the ESPN and ABC networks, but with a total of 21 channels (including Spanish language options), different people will be upset about different ones.
That's part of the problem with a single company owning so many major channels — a dispute like this can affect everything from news to sports to entertainment for millions of people.
Again, I wouldn't be surprised if this dispute lasts just a couple of days (or potentially less), but you never know, as both of these companies are massive enough to keep a dispute going without it hurting their bottom line too badly.
For example, Sling TV had a similar dispute with Disney in 2022 that ultimately became a 48-hour nightmare for sports fans and other YouTube TV subscribers. Even more recently, YouTube TV battled Paramount over CBS and other channels, and that dispute was resolved before a blackout even began.
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