Disney-owned networks like ABC and ESPN were taken off YouTubeTV’s channel offerings overnight as the two sides work to reach a new agreement on broadcast rights.
In a message to its customers late Thursday, YouTubeTV said it “will not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products.”
“Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal,” the Google-owned company said. “This means you will no longer be able to watch channels like ABC and ESPN or access recordings from these networks in your Library.”
The streamer assured its subscribers it was “committed to continuing to work with Disney to reach an agreement,” and said if ABC and ESPN content is unavailable “for an extended period of time, we’ll offer our subscribers a $20 credit.”
The worldwide leader in sports shot back with a statement of its own, saying YouTubeTV was “refusing to pay a fair rate” for its channels.
The standoff comes ahead of jam-packed weekend of college and pro football, including next Monday’s prime-time clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals as well as new episodes of ABC’s hit entertainment series “Dancing with the Stars,” and others.
Seizing on more consumers cutting their cable subscriptions every month, YouTubeTV has steadily increased its prices in recent years, and now carries what is estimated to be more than 10 million subscribers nationwide.
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