Disney channels, including ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild, went dark just before midnight on Thursday on YouTube TV because the media giants did not reach a new distribution agreement in time. The channels are reportedly no longer available in about 10 million households after the two sides failed to strike a deal before Thursday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.
There are a number of issues holding up the new deal, but the main crux of the dispute comes over Disney’s proposed fees for YouTube TV to continue carrying its channels. ESPN and its family of networks are reportedly among the most expensive channels in the market due to pricey sports coverage.
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YouTube’s stance
In a statement, YouTube accused Disney of seeking to enrich its own streaming platforms, such as Hulu + Live TV and Fubo, at the expense of other streaming rivals. Those two services reportedly have around 6 million subscribers, per The Wall Street Journal.
YouTube argues that Disney’s requested fees would force customers to pay more for YouTube TV while allowing Disney’s own services to enjoy more favorable selections.
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Streaming platforms have seen a recent rise in popularity, with a reported market global value of more than $811 billion in 2025.
Disney’s response
Disney struck back at YouTube’s claims, contending that it is only seeking fees from YouTube that are similar to what other distributors pay for its channels. The entertainment giant stated that it expects its media partners, including YouTube, to pay fees commensurate with the value of its channels. Disney accused YouTube’s parent company, Google, of using its market share to get rid of competition from other platforms.
“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 in a statement shared on social media.
YouTube’s past and present negotiations
As cable and satellite networks have steadily lost customers to streaming services, YouTube has grown in popularity and is slated to become the largest streaming platform globally in the next few years, according to the Journal, which cites predictions from industry analysts.
Earlier this month, YouTube found itself in tense negotiations before striking a deal with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to maintain NBC programming such as “Sunday Night Football” and “America’s Got Talent” on its streaming service.
YouTube also agreed to similar deals with Fox and Paramount earlier this year after contentious talks.
The company remains embroiled in a battle with Spanish-language network TelevisaUnivision. The Spanish networks have been unavailable for YouTube TV subscribers since last month as negotiations over a new agreement continue.
