Disney Executives Blame YouTube TV for Channel Blackout
Disney’s top leadership has accused Google’s YouTube TV of removing ESPN, ABC, and other Disney channels without warning and deleting subscribers’ recorded content. In a company-wide memo, executives stated YouTube TV showed no interest in reaching a fair agreement.
Key Details of the Dispute
Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, confirmed that YouTube TV:
- Pulled channels before the carriage deal officially expired at midnight ET
- Provided no advance notice to subscribers or Disney
- Deleted all previously recorded shows and events from user libraries
The executives asserted that Google-owned YouTube TV is “not interested in achieving a fair deal with us.”
Disney’s Position and Impact
According to the memo, Disney is seeking rates comparable to agreements with other distributors like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo. The company accused YouTube TV and Google of using their market power to avoid fair negotiations and undermine competition.
The blackout has removed several major Disney-owned channels from YouTube TV, including:
- ABC networks
- ESPN channels
- FX networks
- National Geographic channels
