Disney networks go dark on YouTube TV after talks fail
Disney’s networks have gone dark on Google’s pay-TV platform YouTube TV after negotiations to reach a licensing deal failed, the companies say.
The affected Disney networks include ESPN, ABC, FX, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, Disney Channel, ABC News Live and others.
A source told Reuters that Disney’s channels were removed from YouTube TV ahead of the contract lapsing.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.YouTube TV issued its statement on X late on Thursday, while the deal was originally set to expire only at midnight.
YouTube TV, one of the largest pay-TV distributors in the US, has been locked in a series of negotiations with firms threatening to pull their media networks from the platform.
Earlier in October, the company, after a difficult negotiation period, struck a deal with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to keep NBC shows such as Sunday Night Football and America’s Got Talent on YouTube TV.
The platform also struck similar deals with Fox and Paramount earlier in 2025 after difficult contract negotiations.
YouTube TV, which has more than 10 million subscribers, said Disney’s proposed offer terms would raise prices for its subscribers and benefit Disney’s own live TV services such as Hulu + Live TV, while Disney accused YouTube TV of being unwilling to pay fair rates.
“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.
A Disney spokesperson said the company was committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.
“With a $US3 trillion ($A4.6 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,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
YouTube TV will offer its subscribers a $US20 credit if the Disney networks remain unavailable on the platform for an extended period of time.
The pay-TV platform had dropped Spanish-language network Univision in September after a failed contract deal.
