YouTube TV Hits Disney Blackout Over Rates
Summary
A significant carriage contract dispute between Google’s YouTube TV and Disney resulted in a blackout of over 20 channels, including ESPN and ABC, starting October 31, 2025 1. The core conflict stems from financial disagreement: YouTube TV cited Disney’s demand for price hikes that could benefit Hulu + Live TV, while Disney alleged YouTube was ‘refusing to pay fair rates’ [1, 2]. This outage, which lasted longer than a brief 2021 interruption, forced YouTube TV to issue a one-time \(20 credit to subscribers starting November 9, 2025, matching a \)15 credit from a 2022 dispute [1, 2]. Supporting this trend of rising distribution costs, the impact broadened beyond live feeds; movies bought on Google Play or YouTube became inaccessible via Movies Anywhere concurrently with the channel loss on 10/31/25 1. Both firms framed their stances around fair compensation, highlighting fundamental valuation differences 2. If a resolution is reached, channel restoration is expected within hours, emphasizing the contractual nature of the outage 2.
Key Moments
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YouTube TV accused Disney of seeking price hikes potentially benefiting competitors like Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
— Article [1] -
YouTube TV began issuing a $20 credit to subscribers on November 9, 2025, following the blackout that started October 31, 2025.
— Article [2] -
Movies purchased on Google Play or YouTube became inaccessible on Movies Anywhere starting 10/31/25.
— Article [1] -
Disney alleged YouTube was 'refusing to pay fair rates,' contrasting with YouTube citing Disney's price demands.
— Article [2]
Different Perspectives
Opposing View
YouTube TV issues $20 credit after Disney blackout extends past Oct 31