MW Can't find ESPN or ABC on YouTube TV? That's because Disney and Google are fighting over money.
By Lukas I. Alpert
The breakdown is the most serious in a string of fights YouTube has had with Paramount, Fox, NBCUniversal and TelevisaUnivision as the streamer's importance has grown
As YouTube has become an increasingly powerful television service, it has found itself embroiled in more fights over carriage fees paid to other television companies for programming. (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)
YouTube is feeling the downside of its increasing importance.
As the streamer has seen its position grow, it has found itself engaged in a series of bruising fights over carriage fees with several major television companies - which has reached a pinnacle with a blackout of programming from Walt Disney Co (DIS.)
Disney's channels were removed from YouTube's pay-TV platform late Thursday after the media giant failed to reach an agreement with YouTube TV, which is owned by Alphabet Inc.'s $(GOOGL)$ Google, over payments for programming rights.
Disney's stock gained 0.3% in recent midday trading, while Alphabet shares pulled back 0.4% from the previous session's record close.
Negotiations continue, but it's unclear when Disney's programming might resume.
It's a modern twist on an old kind of fight. For years, channels would temporarily disappear from cable services amid fights over carriage fees, or what carriers pay television companies for the rights to show their programming.
Now it has migrated into streaming, with YouTube TV becoming a prime battleground.
YouTube argues that Disney's move to pull its programming was aimed at steering viewers to its own streaming platforms, ESPN+, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
"We will not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney's own live TV products," YouTube wrote in a note to its customers. Subscribers were offered a $20 credit if the Disney content was unavailable "for an extended period of time."
Disney countered that the fault lies with YouTube TV for "Refusing to pay fair rates for our channels."
The fight with Disney is the latest in a string of disagreements between YouTube TV and several major television companies. The service, which is popular with viewers looking to watch live programming like sports and news, has previously fought with Fox Corp. $(FOX)$, Comcast Corp.'s $(CMCSA)$ NBCUniversal and Paramount Skydance Corp. (PSKY) over carriage fees, but had reached last-minute agreements with them before any disruption to programming could occur.
(Fox Corp. and MarketWatch parent News Corp share common ownership.)
A similar fight with TelevisaUnivision (MX:TLEVISACPO) reached an impasse last month, forcing the Spanish-language broadcaster's programming off YouTube TV's platform. That led President Donald Trump to press Google to make a deal and restore TelevisaUnivision's programming.
YouTube has become an increasingly dominant player in the streaming space. Its free platform commands the largest share of audience of any streamer. Its subscription service, which costs $82.99 for the base plan, has about 10 million subscribers and is expected to surpass most traditional pay-TV cable and satellite providers in the next few years.
-Lukas I. Alpert
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 31, 2025 12:49 ET (16:49 GMT)
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