A contract dispute between YouTube TV and Disney temporarily removed Disney’s channels— including ESPN, ABC, and FX— from Google’s live TV platform at the end of October. After weeks of negotiations, the two companies have now announced a new multi-year distribution agreement that restores all the affected channels.
Disney confirmed the deal in a statement, calling it a “multi-year distribution agreement,” while YouTube TV added that any previous recordings from Disney-owned networks will also return to users’ libraries.
The agreement includes several key updates:
- Continued carriage of Disney’s full portfolio, including ESPN networks, ABC, Freeform, FX Networks, Disney
Channel, and National Geographic. - Inclusion of ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer service, ESPN Unlimited, at no extra charge for YouTube TV
subscribers. - Access to live and on-demand ESPN Unlimited content directly within YouTube TV.
- Select Disney networks to appear in genre-specific packages.
- The option for users to bundle Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions with select YouTube TV plans.
However, not all services tied to the earlier dispute have been fully restored. According to 9to5Google, Movies Anywhere and certain related platforms remained unavailable as of late Friday, though they are expected to return soon.
The impasse between the two media giants had lasted for weeks, with YouTube TV even offering subscribers a $20 credit during the blackout. Financial terms of the new agreement were not disclosed.
A recent Puck News report suggested the standoff began when YouTube TV sought more favorable terms than what Disney typically offers other distributors. It remains unclear which side ultimately compromised, but for subscribers, the result is a welcome one—just in time for the peak of the college football season.
