YouTube TV’s Demand of Disney Blamed for ESPN, ABC Standoff

For the second straight week, YouTube TV customers have been unable to watch a Monday Night Football contest as the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles took center stage.

On October 30, YouTube TV announced its plans to remove ABC and ESPN from its platform after Disney and Google failed to agree on a new carriage rights deal. Since then, YouTube TV subscribers have been unable to access college football games or Monday Night Football broadcasts aired on both ABC and ESPN.

As negotiations continue to stall, a recent report suggests that YouTube TV’s own demands may be to blame for the ongoing standoff.

According to sports media correspondent John Ourand of Puck, YouTube TV is demanding rates from Disney that are lower than the rates paid by the three largest pay TV distributors in the country: Comcast, Charter, and DirecTV. The report states that Disney offered YouTube TV rates equal to those given to these major distributors, but Google’s streaming service is seeking an even better deal.

In light of the dispute, YouTube TV issued a statement on November 8 announcing its plan to provide a $20 credit to affected customers.

“We’ve been working in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content and returns their programming to YouTube TV. We know it’s been disappointing to lose Disney content, and we want you to know we deeply appreciate your patience. In light of the disruption, we’re offering our subscribers a $20 credit,” the company said.

They added, “Over the next few days, you will receive a follow-up email with instructions on how to redeem your $20 credit for YouTube TV. Once redeemed, this will be applied to your next bill.”

As negotiations continue, YouTube TV subscribers will have to wait to regain access to Disney-owned content, including Monday Night Football games on ABC and ESPN. Stay tuned for updates on this developing situation.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/youtube-tvs-demand-of-disney-blamed-for-espn-abc-standoff-11028970

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