Alphabet and Disney announced on Friday that they’ve reached an agreement to bring ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels back to YouTube TV. The decision ends a two-week dispute that began on October 31, leaving viewers without access to major live sporting events, including college football matchups and two Monday Night Football broadcasts.
“YouTube TV subscribers should start seeing ABC, ESPN, FX, and other networks return throughout the day, along with any previously recorded programs,” YouTube said in a statement. The company added that it was pleased to resolve the issue in a way that protects the value of its service and apologised for the interruption.
Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, said the deal recognises the way people choose to watch content today. “We’re glad to have our networks restored in time for fans to enjoy a full weekend of programming, including college football,” they said.
In total, more than 20 Disney-owned channels have been removed from the platform. YouTube TV issued $20 credits to subscribers during the outage. Along with ABC and ESPN, networks such as FX, National Geographic (NatGeo), Disney Channel, and Freeform were unavailable.
The biggest point of contention was the fee Disney charges for carrying its networks. ESPN, Disney’s most profitable channel, costs more than $10 per month per pay-TV subscriber—higher than any other U.S. network, as previously reported by CNBC.
This wasn’t the first clash between YouTube TV and traditional media companies this year. In October, a disagreement with NBCUniversal nearly led to the loss of shows like Sunday Night Football and America’s Got Talent. Over the summer, a standoff with Fox threatened to pull Fox News, Fox Sports, and other Fox channels right before the college football season began, though both sides reached an agreement in time.
YouTube said the new deal gives it flexibility for future content packages with Disney and other partners. Disney added that, by the end of 2026, YouTube TV subscribers will gain access—at no extra charge—to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN+, which combines ESPN+ content with new offerings from its upcoming all-digital sports service.
Here’s the memo that Disney executives sent to employees:
Team,
We’re pleased to share that we’ve reached a new agreement with YouTube TV, and all of our stations and networks are in the process of being restored to the service.
While this was a challenging moment, it ultimately led to a strong outcome for both consumers and for our company, with a deal that recognizes the tremendous value of the high-quality entertainment, sports, and news that fans have come to expect from Disney.
Over the past few years, we’ve led the way in creating innovative deals with key partners –
each one unique, and each designed to recognize the full value of our programming. This new agreement reflects that same creativity and commitment to doing what’s best for both our audiences and our business.We’re proud of the work that went into this deal and grateful to everyone who helped make it happen — especially Sean Breen, Jimmy Zasowski, and the Platform Distribution team for their tireless commitment throughout this process.
Thank you all for your patience and professionalism over the past several weeks. As you all know, the media landscape continues to evolve quickly, which makes these types of negotiations complex. What hasn’t changed is our focus on the viewer. Our priority is — and will always be — delivering the best experiences and the best value to fans, and we’ll continue working closely with our partners to ensure we’re fulfilling that mission for our audiences.
We’re incredibly optimistic about what’s ahead and grateful to all of you for continuing to set the standard for entertainment around the world.
Alan, Dana & Jimmy
