YouTube TV has officially dropped Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, Disney Channel, and ABC. While the channels are not available on the service, YouTube TV is dropping its price to $49.99 (a $15 savings).
One suggestion that YouTube TV is making is to use that $15 to sign-up for The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. The Disney Bundle is $13.99 a month if you want Hulu with Limited Commercials, or $19.99 with Hulu (No Ads).
So the question is, will the Disney Bundle actually replace those channels for you?
Disney+
While Disney+ is a great entertainment bundle for families, including original series like The Mandalorian, Hawkeye, Falcon and The Winter Solider, and the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett – it doesn’t have any content you lost from YouTube TV.
However, those hours that you might have watched linear TV, you could now replace by bingeing every MCU, Star Wars, and Disney-film ever made.
ESPN+
ESPN+ has a ton of live sports, but very little of it is content from ESPN and ESPN2. ESPN+ won’t carry any of the College Bowl games, including the entire CFP, which air on ABC and ESPN. You could watch those games with an antenna.
Also, all NBA games are only available on ESPN and not on ESPN+. Fortunately, if you are a hockey fan, most of nationally televised NHL games are on ESPN+ and they also carry over 1,000 out-of-market games.
If you are a College Basketball fan, you won’t be able to stream games that air on ESPN, ESPNU, ACC Network, or SEC Network.
Hulu
With the Disney Bundle, you will also get access to Hulu. With Hulu, you will be able to watch most entertainment shows like The Bachelor that air on ABC next day. You can also watch series from NBC, Fox, and cable channels like Bravo, USA Network, HGTV, and more. Hulu also includes FX on Hulu, which means you can watch all current episodes on FX, FXM, FXX right after they air (and their entire library of past seasons).
What If You Really Want Live TV?
- Sling TV ($35-$50+): Get $25 OFF Your First Month
- Hulu + Live TV ($69.99): 7-Day Free Trial
- fuboTV ($64.99): 7-Day Free Trial
- DIRECTV STREAM ($69.99+): 14-Day Risk Free Trial
The least expensive option is Sling TV, which is which is just $10 for your first month. The service includes ESPN and ESPN2, along with ESPN3 (which simulcasts NBA and College Football games on ABC) as part of their Sling Orange plan. You can add ACC Network and SEC Network as part of their Sports Extra Pack ($11).
The most comprehensive options are Hulu Live TV, which offers a 7-Day Free Trial, and has all the Disney-owned channels in their base plan. Starting on December 21st, Hulu Live TV will include ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of their $69.99 a month plan.
fuboTV, which also offers a 7-Day Free Trial include all Disney-owned channels like ABC, Disney Channel, and ABC. You can also get ACC Network, SEC Network, ESPNU, and ESPNews.
If you are looking for a service that also has your regional sports network, DIRECTV STREAM includes ESPN and Disney-owned channels in their base plan, but you can upgrade to their Choice Plan to get Regional Sports Networks.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Sign Up | Free Trial | GET 50% OFF | Sign Up | ||
| $74.99 | $85.98 | $69.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | |
| ABC | • | • | • | - | - | • | • |
| ACC Network | ≥ $99.99 | • | • | - | ^ $11 | - | • |
| ESPN | • | • | • | - | • | - | • |
| ESPN2 | • | • | • | - | • | - | • |
| ESPN3 | • | • | • | - | • | - | • |
| ESPNEWS | ≥ $99.99 | ^ $8 | • | - | ^ $11 | - | • |
| ESPNU | ≥ $99.99 | ^ $8 | • | - | ^ $11 | - | • |
| SEC Network | ≥ $99.99 | • | • | - | ^ $11 | - | • |