YouTube TV, Disney dispute threatens ‘Monday Night Football’
YouTube TV, Disney dispute threatens ‘Monday Night Football’
The carriage fight between the two entertainment giants isn’t showing any signs of let-up as of now.
Will YouTube TV customers miss “Monday Night Football” this evening? It’s a distinct possibility, as the streamer still hasn’t come to any sort of arrangement with Disney for continued carriage of its major cable and broadcast channels, including ABC and ESPN. As of Monday morning, no public progress on a deal has been made, though YouTube TV is still trying to make its service more attractive to new customers with a limited-time discount.
Key Details:
- Fumbling the bag: YouTube TV customers are at risk of missing Nov. 3’s “Monday Night Football” game.
- Weekend of inaction: Both sides spent much of the weekend trying to sway customers to their argument.
- New customer discount: New YouTube TV customers are being offered a $10 discount.
YouTube TV subscribers are now at risk of missing the “Monday Night Football” game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals. The Cowboys, in particular, are consistently a big ratings draw, and the game is scheduled to air on both ABC and ESPN to maximize its potential audience.
If Disney and YouTube TV don’t make a deal before this evening, the blackout of Disney-owned channels that first started late Thursday night will continue into its fifth day on Tuesday. YouTube TV customers are currently unable to watch Disney-owned channels like ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN networks, and others as a result.
As in all carriage disputes, both sides have tried their best to lay the blame for the blackout on the other party. One YouTube executive told Deadline that Disney had been “unnecessarily aggressive and assertive” in its negotiating tactics, and had advanced an “antiquated view” of the economics of pay TV.
YouTube TV has told customers that they can expect a $20 credit if Disney-owned channels are blacked out for a long period of time, but some customers have started to see compensation. As reported by 9to5 Google, YouTube TV has already begun offering some customers a $10 bill credit if they go to Settings > Membership > Manage Plan. This credit is not available to all customers, and may not be tied to the $20 offer YouTube promised to customers in case of a Disney blackout at all.
New customers are also being offered $10 off their first three months of service, a pre-existing offer that YouTube TV has chosen to continue providing as its carriage fight with Disney continues. Even with that deal, however, YouTube TV without ESPN and other channels may be a hard sell for customers who are searching for a live TV streaming service to replace cable.
Viewers can still watch Disney-owned channels on streamers like DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV at various price points. Those networks will almost certainly return to YouTube TV at some point as well, though it may not be until more in-demand programming like “Monday Night Football” is missed by YouTube TV viewers as a result of the dispute.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.