Disney and YouTube TV blackout to continue over weekend as carriage dispute remains unresolved

Disney and YouTube TV’s dispute over carriage fees continues into the weekend with no new deal reached

The ongoing carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV is set to continue through the weekend, with no agreement reached to restore Disney-owned channels, including ABC and ESPN, to the platform.

In a memo to employees on Friday, Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, confirmed that talks with Google, which owns YouTube TV, had yet to yield results. “We are headed into another sports-packed weekend without a deal in place,” the memo stated.

Disney executives said they had proposed a deal that would cost YouTube TV less overall than their previous agreement, with the addition of flexible, customised channel packages for sports, entertainment, and family programming.

The company claimed YouTube TV continues to demand “preferential terms that are below market and has made few concessions.”

A spokesperson for YouTube TV disputed Disney’s characterisation of negotiations, arguing that Disney is requesting a rate higher than what other major providers, including Charter and DirecTV, pay for ABC Networks.

YouTube TV also accused Disney of “negotiating in public through their paid talent and misrepresenting the facts,” while maintaining that it is ready to agree on fair terms consistent with other distribution deals.

The blackout, which began on October 31, has left millions of YouTube TV subscribers without access to major Disney-owned channels, including ABC and ESPN. The standoff has also reportedly affected network ratings during a peak period for sports coverage.

Disney said it will continue to seek “common ground” with YouTube TV but did not provide a timeline for when service might resume.

Both companies have stated they remain committed to reaching an agreement that serves their shared customers.