After a few weeks of going back and forth, and customers experiencing content blackouts, Disney and YouTube managed to get its deal done, bringing Disney-owned channels back to YouTube TV. While we understand that this is all about business, as customers, it’s a painful part of the streaming experience, knowing that the content you love and enjoy may be here one day, and gone the next.
This time, Disney is the victor
While it was reported that YouTube was the hold out, we’re now learning that it was the one that actually caved in first. CNBC has the details, sharing that YouTube didn’t get a lot of what it was asking in its negotiations with Disney (via 9to5Google). Reportedly, YouTube TV is paying the standard rate to Disney based on its current size.
However, what YouTube really wanted was to have a “sliding-scale rate” which would change how much it pays based on how large or small (unlikely) it became. In addition to the above, Disney is getting additional money for each “ingestion of ESPN Unlimited” that occurs on YouTube TV. Because of this, YouTube will now reportedly be able to offer different types of packages going forward.
This is quite common in the broadcast world, giving customers more options, allowing them to pay for channels that they want, instead of having to purchase a block of channels like some services offer now. What makes this all the more interesting is that by closing this deal, Disney was able to avoid dealing with multiple content disputes at one time.
Disney is in a battle of its own
Currently, there are new negotiations ongoing between Disney-owned Fubo and NBCUniversal. In this case, we’re having a situation where Fubo is seeing a blackout of channels on its service. The brand believes that the rates aren’t fair and that they could be better. It almost sounds silly seeing this type of role reversal, especially considering just how recently all the events occured.
Naturally, Fubo is doing right by its customers during this time by offering a $15 credit. If you’re interested in all the details of the negotiations, Fubo has a website set up that will provide all the details. In the end, it’s interesting to see that YouTube didn’t really get what it wants. Many reported that the juggernaut would wait it out in an attempt to strong-arm Disney into getting its way.
For whatever reason, YouTube decided to bow out of this discussion and just give in to what Disney required to make this deal happen. The streaming world has become more and more complex over the years as content gets spread across different services and platforms. While brands would happily lease out content to other providers, that has become less and less the case as new streaming services have come to fruition.
More of things to come
At this point, many streaming services use this exclusive content to lure subscribers in. The problem with YouTube TV is that it is a livestreaming service, so, it will always need to broker new deals with network providers in order to keep its content rolling. Because of this, YouTube has had to raise rates multiple times over the past few years, making it an expensive option for streaming. But even with the high cost, some folks just can’t get rid of it.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, YouTube TV will also get back lost TelevisaUnivision channels soon too. While it’s not ideal, it’s just something that customers are going to have to deal with going forward. And for the most part, it’s not ideal at all, and something you definitely wouldn’t have seen occur with standard cable and satellite providers.
