Disney is alerting viewers that its networks including ABC and ESPN could go dark on Google’s YouTube TV as soon as next week, amid an impasse in deal-renewal talks.
According to Disney, it is continuing to negotiate with Google over a new YouTube TV deal but that the internet giant is using its market dominance to try to force the media company into a deal for below-market carriage fees. YouTube TV is the U.S.’s largest internet-delivered pay-TV service, estimated to have more than 10 million subscribers.
The current Disney distribution deal for YouTube is set to expire Oct. 30 at midnight ET. The agreement covers local ABC broadcast stations, the suite of ESPN networks, ABC News, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., FX, FXX, FXM, NatGeo and Freeform. Disney plans to show on-screen scrolls on its networks about the potential YouTube TV blackout, along with messaging across social media platforms.
For its part, YouTube said that if Disney’s networks are removed from YouTube TV for “an extended period of time” it will extend subscribers a $20 credit.
Disney’s warning comes after YouTube TV has been engaged in four other distribution disputes so far this year alone. After contentious deal talks, YouTube TV and Paramount Global (now Paramount Skydance) renewed their agreement to carry CBS stations nationwide and more than 20 other channels in February. Fox Corp. and YouTube TV reached a renewal in August 2025 after a public back-and-forth, and NBCUniversal inked a long-term pact with Google earlier this month. Meanwhile, YouTube TV dropped Univision and other TelevisaUnivision-owned networks at the end of September after the two sides failed to reach a new agreement.
“For the fourth time in three months, Google’s YouTube TV is putting their subscribers at risk of losing the most valuable networks they signed up for,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. “This is the latest example of Google exploiting its position at the expense of their own customers. We invest significantly in our content and expect our partners to pay fair rates that recognize that value. If we don’t reach a fair deal soon, YouTube TV customers will lose access to ESPN and ABC, and all our marquee programming — including the NFL, college football, NBA and NHL seasons — and so much more.”
A YouTube spokesperson said in a statement: “We’ve been working in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content on YouTube TV. Unfortunately, Disney is proposing costly economic terms that would raise prices on YouTube TV customers and give our customers fewer choices, while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products — like Hulu + Live TV and, soon, Fubo. Without an agreement, we’ll have to remove Disney’s content from YouTube TV and if it remains unavailable for an extended period of time, we will offer subscribers a $20 credit.”
In 2023, Disney and Charter Communications had a public battle over a renewal, before the two sides resolved their differences to avoid a blackout. In 2024, ESPN and other Disney nets went dark on DirecTV for nearly two weeks before they reached a new deal. Earlier this month, Disney inked a renewal with Comcast for continued carriage of the Mouse House’s networks.
According to Disney, viewing of its networks in YouTube TV households is up by more than 15% year-over-year based on gross minutes viewed, citing Nielsen data.
There’s some bad blood between Disney and YouTube. Justin Connolly, Disney’s former head of distribution, joined YouTube as VP of global head of media this spring. Disney sued YouTube and Connolly, alleging breach of contract and seeking to block his employment at Google, in part citing Connolly’s knowledge of Disney as it pertained to contract renewal talks for YouTube TV. A California Superior Court judge ruled against Disney in the case.
Pictured above: ABC’s “Abbott Elementary”
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