Jump for joy! A deal has been reached.
Photo: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
YouTube TV andโ Disney Entertainment have resolved their carriage dispute,โ restoring access to ESPN, ABC, and other Disney-owned channels for subscribers. The agreement,โ announced late Friday, ends a blackout that began October 30th and disrupted live sports and entertainment programming for millions of viewers.
The dispute, oneโฃ of โthe longest in โrecent streaming television history, centered on programmingโค fees and distribution rights. The resolution comes as college football playoffs and the broader holiday television season approach, minimizing further disruptionโฃ for YouTube TV’s โฃuser base. Disney Entertainment โขco-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, confirmedโ the deal in a โคjoint statement, expressing satisfactionโค at reaching an agreement “in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend.”
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โ โขDisney’s channels – including ABC, ESPN, โฃFreeform, and FX – โwentโฃ dark on YouTube โTV onโค October 30th. This outage surpassed the 11-day Charter Communications dispute in 2023 in length. โReports indicated โคthe negotiationsโฃ were particularly challenging, involving direct engagement โfrom Disney CEO Bobโ Iger and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
