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Walt Disney's networks, including ESPN and ABC, will go dark on Google's pay-TV platform YouTube TV after failed contract negotiations, Variety and the Los Angeles Times reported late on Thursday."Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we'll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s TV products," YouTube TV said in a post on X.Without an agreement, Google owned platform YouTube TV no longer has legal rights to distribute Disney's channels."We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers," a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement, citing media reports“We continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV," tcompany official said.In an earlier statement, Disney said, "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.""Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming, which includes the best lineup in live sports – anchored by the NFL, NBA, and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams playing this weekend. 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," it said.
