Disney Channels Go Dark on YouTube TV After Contract Talks Collapse

Disney’s (DIS.N) television networks went off Google’s pay-TV platform YouTube TV (GOOGL.O) late Thursday night after the two companies failed to reach a new licensing agreement, both sides confirmed in separate statements.

The blackout affects several Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Disney Channel, and ABC News Live, among others.

A source told Reuters that Disney’s channels were pulled from YouTube TV just before the contract officially expired. YouTube TV posted its statement on X (formerly Twitter) at 11:16 p.m. ET, even though the deal was set to end at midnight.

YouTube TV — one of the largest pay-TV distributors in the United States, with more than 10 million subscribers — has faced a series of high-stakes carriage disputes this year. In recent months, it has narrowly avoided similar blackouts with NBCUniversal (CMCSA.O), Fox (FOXA.O), and Paramount, following tense negotiations.

In its latest standoff, YouTube TV said that Disney’s proposed terms would raise prices for subscribers while giving an unfair advantage to Disney’s own live-TV offering, Hulu + Live TV. Disney, meanwhile, accused YouTube TV of refusing to pay fair market rates.

“Our contract with Disney has expired, and we cannot agree to terms that would harm our members while benefiting Disney’s own TV products,” YouTube TV wrote on X.

A Disney spokesperson said the company remains committed to reaching a resolution quickly, adding, “With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to undercut industry-standard terms — terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.”

To compensate for the loss of Disney’s channels, YouTube TV said it will offer a $20 credit to affected subscribers if the dispute continues.

Last month, YouTube TV also dropped Univision, the leading Spanish-language network in the U.S., after similar contract negotiations fell through.