Disney and YouTube TV have finally agreed to a new carriage agreement and Disney channels will be back on YouTube TV soon. They have been dark for over two weeks, starting on October 30.
Disney and YouTube TV Agreement
With the new deal, the full lineup of ESPN, including the direct-to-consumer ESPN Unlimited service, will be available to YouTube TV base-plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026. The Disney+ and Hulu bundle will be available as part of “select YouTube offerings,” and certain networks will be part of “genre-specific packages.”
“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,” said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro in a statement. “It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”
A YouTube TV spokesperson said, “We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers. Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.”
Disney said their channels “have already begun to be restored to YouTube TV subscribers.”
Disney channels were pulled from YouTube TV late on October 30 as their previous carriage deal expired. The two battled over a new agreement, with YouTube TV reportedly losing up to 24% of subscribers and Disney losing $60 million. YouTube TV began offering subscribers a $20 credit.
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