ESPN, ABC go dark on YouTube TV. Here’s how to continue watching your favorite events and shows
Disney, which owns ESPN and ABC, removed content from YouTube TV after its carriage contract expired on Thursday.
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Soccer fans looking to watch Monday night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals will have to do so somewhere other than YouTube TV due to the platform’s ongoing dispute with Disney.
Disney content (including channels like ESPN and ABC, which each air “Monday Night Football”) was removed from YouTube TV on Oct. 30 after the two companies were unable to reach a new contract agreement.
“Despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach a fair agreement. Starting today, Disney programming will no longer be available on YouTube TV,” the live TV broadcaster said in an Oct. 30 statement.
YouTube TV accused Disney of offering “expensive economic terms that would increase prices for YouTube TV customers and reduce customer choice.” Meanwhile, Disney said Google, YouTube TV’s parent company, is “taking advantage of its market dominance to eliminate competition and devalue the industry-standard terms that have successfully negotiated with all other broadcasters.”
But Disney said it had petitioned to bring back ABC on YouTube TV on Tuesday, Nov. 4, election day in some parts of the country.
Here is the latest one.
Can I watch Monday Night Football, ESPN on YouTube TV?
Disney-owned ESPN is still unavailable on YouTube TV as of Monday afternoon, Nov. 3, due to contract negotiations.
As a result, Monday Night Football on ESPN will no longer be available on YouTube TV starting Monday, November 3rd.
The game will also be broadcast on other streaming platforms, including Fubo (with free trial) Sling TV and ESPN’s own streaming service ESPN Unlimited.
Which Disney channels have been removed from YouTube TV?
Various channels run by Disney have been pulled from YouTube TV. See complete list by Google.
- ABC
- ABC News Live
- ACC network
- disney channel
- disney junior
- Disney XD
- ESPN
- ESP News
- ESPN2
- ESPNU
- free form
- FX
- FXM
- FXX
- Looks like a local
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Wild
- SEC Network
- Spanish plans: ESPN Deportes, Baby TV Español, Nat Geo Mundo
Disney announces it has asked YouTube TV to restore ABC for elections
Disney said in a statement to USA TODAY that it asked YouTube TV to reinstate ABC on the platform on Tuesday, Nov. 4, the off-year election day.
“Despite the impasse that has caused the current outage, we have asked YouTube TV to restore ABC on Election Day to ensure our subscribers have access to reliable information,” the statement said. “We believe in putting the public interest first, and we hope YouTube TV will take this small step on behalf of our customers while we continue to work toward a fair agreement.”
USA TODAY has reached out to YouTube TV for comment on the request.
YouTube TV offers $20 credit if Disney Channel remains discontinued
YouTube TV has announced that it will offer subscribers a $20 credit if the Disney Channel is unavailable for an “extended period.”
USA TODAY has reached out to YouTube TV for more information on when the credits will be available.
This story has been updated to correct a typo.
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
