YouTube TV users woke up to find major Disney-owned channels, including ABC and ESPN, missing from their lineup after contract negotiations between Google and The Walt Disney Company broke down late Thursday night.
The companies failed to renew their distribution agreement before it expired on October 30 at 11:59 pm ET, resulting in an immediate blackout of more than 20 channels.
The affected networks include ABC, ESPN, FX, National Geographic, Disney Channel, and ABC News Live.
"Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV," the platform said in a statement Thursday night.
YouTube TV, which has over 10 million subscribers, said Disney demanded terms that would raise prices for users and benefit its own live TV products, such as Hulu + Live TV, Reuters reported.
"We will not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney's own live TV products," YouTube TV said on its help center page.
The platform added that it understands how disruptive losing favorite channels can be and promised to offer customers a $20 credit if Disney content remains unavailable for an extended time.
Disney, for its part, said it remains committed to reaching a resolution as soon as possible.
"With a $3 trillion 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," a Disney spokesperson said.
Disney networks go dark on YouTube TV after failed talks https://t.co/sMzdfGPMAs https://t.co/sMzdfGPMAs
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 31, 2025
Disney Denies YouTube's Push to Merge
Sources familiar with the talks told CNBC that Disney had offered YouTube TV a deal that would include access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for no additional cost.
However, YouTube reportedly wanted the streaming content integrated directly into its platform, a request Disney refused.
The failed negotiations mark another high-profile standoff for YouTube TV, which has faced several similar disputes this year.
Earlier this month, the service narrowly avoided losing NBCUniversal channels, including "Sunday Night Football" and "America's Got Talent," after last-minute talks led to an extension.
The current blackout affects some of YouTube TV's most-watched content, including live sports and national news programming. For millions of viewers, it's a major disruption just as the NBA and NFL seasons heat up.
Both companies have indicated that discussions will continue, but no timeline has been announced for restoring Disney's networks.
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