“Unfortunately, Disney is proposing costly economic terms that would raise prices on YouTube TV customers and give our customers fewer choices,” YouTube TV
New York, October 31, 2025 — Millions of streaming television customers woke up to a startling development following the sudden disappearance of major channels from their screens.
The Walt Disney Company has pulled its entire suite of channels from Google-owned YouTube TV after the two media giants failed to reach an agreement on new broadcast fees before a midnight deadline.
The blackout, which commenced shortly before 12:00 A.M. Eastern Time on October 31, 2025, impacts over ten million subscribers who now find themselves without access to popular networks including ESPN, ABC, FX, the Disney Channel, and more. The service has offered a $20 bill credit to affected users if the channels remain dark for an extended period.
🚨 Breakdown in Negotiations Over Fees
The contract dispute centers on the fees YouTube TV must pay Disney to carry its programming.
The previous distribution agreement, which has been in effect for multiple years, was set to expire on October 30 at 11:59 P.M. ET. Negotiations reportedly broke down as both sides accused the other of making unreasonable demands.
A spokesperson for Google stated that the company would not accept terms that would force higher prices upon its customers.
“Unfortunately, Disney is proposing costly economic terms that would raise prices on YouTube TV customers and give our customers fewer choices,” the Google spokesperson said in a statement. The platform asserts that Disney’s demands benefit its own live TV products, such as Hulu + Live TV.
Meanwhile, Disney fired back, arguing that Google was exploiting its dominant position in the market.
“Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC,” said a spokesperson for The Walt Disney Company. The company added, “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.”
🏈 Blackout Hits Hard During Peak Sports Season
The timing of the blackout could not be worse for viewers, as it occurs right in the middle of crucial professional and college sports seasons. Fans now miss out on high-profile NFL and College Football matchups aired on ESPN and ABC, as well as primetime programming across Disney’s other networks.
This is the latest of several heated carriage disputes for the YouTube TV platform this year, though previous skirmishes with companies like NBCUniversal and Fox were resolved before a channel blackout occurred. Disney itself has a history of prolonged standoffs with distributors, having faced similar blackouts with DirecTV and Charter in recent years.
Both companies state they remain committed to finding a fair resolution, but for now, the screen stays dark and the millions of customers are left in the middle of a billion-dollar battle.