- More than 20 Disney-owned channels have been suspended on YouTube TV effective immediately
- The two companies have “failed to come to terms on a new carriage agreement ahead of a midnight deadline”
- ESPN, ABC, Nat Geo and Disney Channel are all effected
More than 20 Disney-owned channels are now missing from YouTube TV, due to the two companies having “failed to come to terms on a new carriage agreement ahead of a midnight deadline,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The following channels are now no longer available:
- ABC
- ABC News Live
- ACC Network
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- Freeform
- FX
- FXX
- FXM
- Localish
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Wild
- SEC Network
- ESPN Deportes (ES)
- Baby TV Español (ES)
- Nat Geo Mundo (ES)
A spokesperson for Disney said: “Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC.
“With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.”
While Disney is allegedly “looking for a better deal than anyone else in the market,” all is not lost for subscribers who will now be missing out. There are currently three alternatives for where to watch the missing channels during the suspension on YouTube.
Watch Disney Channels on FuboTV
On October 29, Disney and Fubo closed a deal that effectively merges their live TV business, so the content we’re now missing on YouTube TV isn’t going anywhere here.
As another standalone company with around 6 million subscribers (as opposed to YouTube TV’s 10 million), it’s probably the closest like-for-like rival out of the options we now have.
According to co-founder and CEO of Fubo David Gandler, both companies are now looking to create “a more flexible streaming ecosystem that gives consumers greater choice.” Disney now has a 70% stake in the company.
Fubo TV subscribers can watch ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and other channels live without cable TV or a contract.
Watch Disney channels using the Hulu + Live TV bundle
As Hulu’s live TV bundle is also involved in the deal mentioned above, going straight to the Disney-Hulu partnership is another great option. Hulu is now launching globally, set to be integrated in one app with Disney content by 2026.
However, there’s a small downside here. Subscription prices for the service have tended to increase by $1-2 year on year, with the integration hinting at greater “price elasticity”. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but any deals on the service could be coming in extra handy.
Watch Disney channels on Sling
The option most people will likely forget about is Sling TV, which is possibly the best outright option for sports fans. Similarly to Fubo, subscribers can stream live TV, including ESPN, without the need for cable.
I’ve included the best introductory deal above, but Sling makes up some of the best streaming deals around in multiple ways.
Sling TV has two main plans to choose from (Sling Blue or Sling Orange), with Sling Orange currently at a monthly price of $23, which is down from the usual price of $45.99.
The four month season pass is also discounted from $280 to $199, and if you really want to flesh out your plan, add-ons for AMC+ and Paramount+ are also available.
The best TVs for all budgets
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jasmine.valentine@futurenet.com (Jasmine Valentine)
