Disney, YouTube
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Disney CFO Hugh Johnston warns sports fans that the ongoing ESPN-YouTube TV carriage dispute could go "as long as they want".
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How YouTube TV subscribers can get their $20 credit while Disney’s ESPN and ABC remain off the air
Open YouTube TV in a web browser and go to your Membership Settings. Click Membership. Click Manage. Click Cancel Membership, and then click Cancel to confirm.
YouTube TV's 10 million customers have been without Disney channels for two weeks; CEO Bob Iger told Wall Street analysts: "We're trying really hard ... working tirelessly to close this deal."
The ongoing carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Disney has entered its third week, leaving millions of subscribers without access to major channels like ABC, ESPN, FX, Freeform, and National Geographic. The blackout began on Oct. 30 after contract negotiations between the two media giants failed to result in a new agreement.
The YouTube TV Disney fight now centers on ABC pricing, not ESPN, creating widespread blackouts and a sizeable weekly revenue hit.
On the streaming topic, analysts pointed out that they were taking into account 14 days of impact from the ongoing YouTube TV blackout, which they estimated at “$60 million revenue headwind.” This means that with each week that passes with Disney channels not accessible via YouTube TV, Disney is losing around $30 million.
The standoff in carriage negotiations between YouTube TV and Disney has reached two weeks. At the end of the day on Oct. 30, the previous deal between YouTube TV's parent company, Google, and Disney, which owns ABC and all ESPN-affiliated channels, expired, leaving all of Disney's catalog off the streaming service.