Over 10 million YouTube customers lost access to ESPN and Disney channel after contract talks broke down. This was one of the largest television blackouts in years. The Disney networks were dropped shortly before 9PM on Thursday, and interrupted “SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt” on ESPN and “9-1-1: Nashville” and “Grey’s Anatomy” on ABC.
“Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV,” the platform said in a statement.
The two TV giants have been having disagreements for weeks over over carriage fees for Disney’s channels, including FX, Disney Jr. and National Geographic. YouTube TV, one of the largest pay-TV services in the U.S. has objected to Disney’s price demands fuelling the dispute.
READ: Disney raises prices of Disney+ and Hulu services (September 24, 2025)
More than 20 channels would be removed from YouTube TV, the company added, saying that if the content is unavailable for an extended period of time, the company would offer users a $20 credit. Disney said in a statement, “Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC.
Disney Entertainment Co-Chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro sent a memo to all Disney employees Friday, noting that YouTube TV also “deleted all [Disney] previously recorded shows and events from their subscribers’ libraries” in addition to failing to strike a deal. “Their actions make clear how little regard they have for their customers and are consistent with an attitude which has been prevalent throughout our negotiations — YouTube TV and its owner, Google, are not interested in achieving a fair deal with us,” wrote Walden, Bergman and Pitaro. “Instead, they want to use their power and extraordinary resources to eliminate competition and devalue the very content that helped them build their service.”
The two sides had been engaged in negotiations but were unable to reach a new distribution agreement before their existing contract expired Oct. 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET. YouTube TV subscribers could risk losing access to college football if a deal isn’t struck by Saturday morning and “Monday Night Football” if programming isn’t returned by the start of next week. Disney had issued a warning about the possibility of a content blackout last week.