Sports fans and TV enthusiasts, brace yourselves: the Disney-YouTube TV blackout is far from over, and it’s about to get even more frustrating. Imagine missing out on your favorite games and shows this weekend—again. Yes, the standoff between Disney and YouTube TV shows no signs of resolution, leaving millions of viewers in the dark. But here’s where it gets controversial: is this a fair fight, or is one side playing hardball at the expense of subscribers?
As of November 7, 2025, Disney’s ESPN, ABC, and other channels remain absent from YouTube TV, a disruption that began on October 31. In a memo to employees, Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, expressed their regret over the ongoing impasse. They emphasized, “We wish we could give you that answer today, but unfortunately, we are headed into another sports-packed weekend without a deal in place.” This isn’t just about missed games—it’s about a larger battle over pricing, flexibility, and market fairness.
Disney claims they’ve offered Google, YouTube TV’s parent company, a deal that would save money compared to their previous agreement. They’ve even proposed customizable packages tailored to sports fans, families, and entertainment enthusiasts. Sounds like a win-win, right? But here’s the twist: YouTube TV alleges Disney is using the blackout as leverage to force terms that would raise prices for subscribers, ultimately benefiting Disney’s own streaming services like Hulu + Live TV.
In their memo, Disney executives highlight their efforts to negotiate fairly, pointing out that over 500 other distributors have agreed to similar terms. Yet, they accuse YouTube TV of demanding “preferential terms that are below market” and making minimal concessions. The question lingers: Is YouTube TV being unreasonable, or is Disney overplaying its hand?
YouTube TV fired back on October 31, stating, “Disney used the threat of a blackout as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers.” They argue that Disney’s decision harms subscribers while boosting their own platforms. And this is the part most people miss: Could this dispute signal a broader shift in how streaming services negotiate with content providers, potentially reshaping the industry?
Here’s the full memo from Disney’s leadership, shedding light on their perspective:
Team,
We promised to keep you updated on our negotiations with Google’s YouTube TV following their decision last week to pull our channels from their service, and we are writing today with the latest. We realize this has been a challenging week, with everyone asking the same question as millions of YouTube TV subscribers during the busiest time of the year in sports: When will ESPN and ABC be back on the service? We wish we could give you that answer today, but unfortunately, we are headed into another sports-packed weekend without a deal in place.
We know you’ve seen a swirl of information about the impasse, so we wanted to share some of the facts:
- We began these negotiations by offering YouTube TV a deal that would cost less overall than the terms of our recently expired license. That’s real savings that YouTube TV could pass along to its customers.
- We’ve offered innovative, bespoke programming packages—tailored to sports fans, entertainment fans, kids, and families—that would provide tremendous flexibility for YouTube TV and greater choice and value for its customers.
- We’ve offered fair terms that are in line with the more than 500 other distributors that have renewed their agreements since last summer, including the top distributors, who are far larger than YouTube TV.
- Despite all this, YouTube TV continues to insist on receiving preferential terms that are below market and has made few concessions.
Rather than compete on a level playing field, Google’s YouTube TV has approached these negotiations as if it were the only player in the game. It goes without saying that the reason so many consumers value our programming above others is because we invest in the best talent, creators, and content in the world, and we cannot allow anyone to undercut our ability to do so.
We know how difficult this situation is for the YouTube TV customers we serve, and for all of you who provide the sports programming, entertainment, news, and live events that our fans know and love. Thank you for the incredible work you do each and every day and for staying focused on maintaining such a high bar throughout this difficult situation.
We will continue to work diligently to find common ground with YouTube TV and will keep you informed as we have more news to share.
With Gratitude,
Alan, Dana & Jimmy
So, what’s your take? Is Disney being fair, or is YouTube TV fighting for its subscribers? Could this blackout change the way we consume TV forever? Let us know in the comments—this debate is just getting started.