What you need to know
- A survey conducted by Drive Research claims that 82% of YouTube TV subscribers are so done with the Disney battle that if it continues, they want out.
- The company's research adds that roughly 24% have already cancelled their service or are at least planning to.
- YouTube TV and Disney have been stuck in this content stalemate for over a week now, and users are missing out on the content they love, like live sports, shows, and more.
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The YouTube TV, Disney content battle continues, and a new report sheds light on how consumers might be feeling as a direct result.
A survey conducted by Drive Research was highlighted by Variety this week, which claims that upwards of 82% of YouTube TV subscribers are fed up and want out if the battle with Disney continues. Now, while this number seems high, the post notes that Drive Research is a market research firm that polled 1,100 U.S. consumers with a YouTube TV subscription.
This 82% are "likely" to cancel; however, 24% of those surveyed claim that they have "already cancelled" or are at least "planning to" at some point.
The fact of the matter is, as noted in the firm's research, people have subscribed to YouTube TV to obtain the content they want to see (channels from Disney). Over half state they did so to view sports on ESPN, like the NFL. Nearly half claim that they've purchased a YouTube TV subscription because "they value the ability to share the service with household members or use multiple streams," per Variety.
YouTube TV reportedly chimed in, as Variety notes, a spokesperson offered comment about Drive Research's survey. YouTube TV throws shade, stating, "We’re not familiar with this firm and can’t speak to their credibility or methodology." The spokesperson adds that while it doesn't love "subscriber churn," what's been happening recently has been "manageable" and "does not align with the findings of this survey."
Advancing the narrative, roughly 30% of Drive Research's findings state that people are already looking to directly subscribe to ESPN Unlimited and Hulu Plus Live TV just to get what they're missing.
It's been a rough going, and the viewer is tired
There is probably a wealth of emotions and takes that can arise from a situation like this, especially from the consumers, but the fact of the matter is that we're stuck in a deadlock. Neither YouTube TV nor Disney has been willing to budge on settling this content battle and restoring content for the consumer. Each side's been pointing fingers at the other, as YouTube TV claims Disney's been "unnecessarily aggressive and assertive," while the other says the opposite's blown things out of proportion.
There was a report earlier this week, right before Election Day, that said Disney approached YouTube TV to restore ABC for one day, just for that crucial moment. However, YouTube TV reportedly declined, instead wanting Disney to allow it to return ABC and ESPN "indefinitely" while their talks proceed.
This report from Drive Research on consumer frustration echoes another that says viewers are irritated by the struggle, which hurts them more than anyone else. Not only have events users wait all week for (College Football, NFL, Election Day, weekly shows) come and gone, but users are also left with uncertainty as to how best to proceed. Users on Reddit have started venting about this issue, as they're going to miss out.
Others have stepped up to offer consumers a way out of the blackout, like Hulu and DirecTV. The latter highlights its Genre Packs, which place everything consumers would want (sports, TV, and more) front and center and available.
