ABC, FX, Nat Geo, ESPN go dark on YouTube TV as Google and Disney face off

YouTube TV channels

Disney-owned channels including ABC, FX, National Geographic and ESPN have disappeared from YouTube’s streaming TV platform after the two media giants failed to agree new distribution terms.

The channels went dark on Google-owned YouTube TV in roughly 10 million homes yesterday, with Disney and YouTube TV locked in reportedly contentious negotiations prior to last night’s deadline.

YouTube TV has said Disney’s proposed offer would increase prices for its subscribers and benefit Disney’s own live TV services such as Hulu + Live TV, which recently merged with Fubo, while Disney has accused YouTube TV of being unwilling to pay fair rates.

“Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we’ll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s TV products,” YouTube TV said in a post on social media platform X.

A Disney representative told Reuters the company was committed to working towards a resolution as quickly as possible.

“With a US$3tn 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,” the representative said in a statement.

It comes after YouTube has had similar disputes with NBCUniversal, Fox, Paramount and Spanish-language network Univision.