Copyright Digital Trends
What Happened: So, if you’re a YouTube TV subscriber wondering where your ESPN is, don’t hold your breath. Disney execs sent out a memo on Friday basically saying they’re still at a total stalemate with YouTube TV. The memo, which The Athletic got a copy of, was from the big bosses at Disney and ESPN. They pretty much accused Google (which owns YouTube TV) of acting like they’re “the only player in the game” and refusing to agree to a fair deal – a deal that Disney says 500 other companies have already agreed to. This whole mess started back on Halloween, October 31st. Millions of people – maybe as many as 10 million – who pay for YouTube TV suddenly lost ESPN, ABC, and all those related channels. That means no college football, no Monday Night Football, and a whole lot of angry sports fans right in the middle of the season. Why Is This Important: This fight couldn’t come at a worse time. ESPN is still the king of sports, and this blackout is already starting to hurt its ratings, especially for the big games. And this weekend is a huge one. We’re talking BYU vs. Texas Tech, the massive LSU vs. Alabama rivalry, and then on Monday night, one of the best matchups of the NFL season: Eagles vs. Packers. If you have YouTube TV, you’re just… out of luck. That’s the kind of thing that makes people jump ship to another service. Disney’s side is that YouTube TV is trying to lowball them, and if they give in, they can’t afford to pay for all the expensive sports and talent. Of course, YouTube TV is spinning it like they’re the good guys, just trying to protect all of us from Disney’s “excessive” prices. Why Should I Care: If you’ve got YouTube TV, this is a massive headache. You’re paying for a service specifically to watch live sports, and now, with the football season getting intense, you’re missing the main event. It’s also just a perfect example of the bigger war going on between the new streaming companies and the old-school media giants. They’re all fighting over who pays what in this new streaming world, and we’re the ones caught in the middle. Recommended Videos What’s Next: Disney says they’re “open to discussions,” but they made it crystal clear: don’t expect a fix this weekend. The clock is ticking. Fans are getting really mad – a recent survey said something like 60% of YouTube TV subscribers are already thinking about switching. If they don’t get a deal done before the holidays, this is going to blow up into one of the biggest streaming fights we’ve seen all year. Moinak Pal is has been working in the technology sector covering both consumer centric tech and automotive technology for the…
