A contract-related disagreement between YouTube TV and Disney has resulted in the suspension of the latter’s channels on Google’s platform. This meant that Disney’s catalog of channels, which includes ESPN and ABC, was removed from YouTube TV at the end of October. Thankfully, there’s some good news to start the weekend, as Disney and YouTube TV have announced a deal to bring back all the lost channels.
In a statement, Disney said a “multi-year distribution agreement” had been struck, with YouTube TV’s update clarifying that any past recordings in the Library should also return as part of this deal.
Disney gives us a scope of what this new multi-year deal will bring:
Carriage of Disney’s full linear portfolio including all the ESPN networks, ABC, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX Networks, and the National Geographic channels
ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service (Unlimited Plan) to be made available at no additional cost to YouTube TV subscribers
Access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited inside YouTube TV
Select networks to be included in various genre-specific packages
The ability to include the Disney+, Hulu Bundle as part of select YouTube offerings
Not all impacted services may be back up just yet
Additional reporting by 9to5Google reveals that other services affected as part of this stalemate, including Movies Anywhere, aren’t back up as of late on Friday. However, that could change imminently.
This deal comes after an extended period of back-and-forth between the two corporations, with YouTube TV offering a $20 credit to affected users last week. The financial details of the multi-year agreement weren’t disclosed by either party.
A Puck News report this week suggested that YouTube TV was seeking a better deal than what Disney offers to all its providers. This is where the two industry juggernauts appear to have hit a roadblock.
It will be interesting to find out whether Disney settled and offered a better deal or if YouTube TV agreed to Disney’s supposedly industry-standard prices. However, it shouldn’t matter much to the customers who have stuck with YouTube TV during this multi-week dispute, especially as the college football season heats up.
