YouTube TV vs. Disney: A Few Things About the Companies Being ‘Far Apart’

By Phillip Swann
Subscribe to The TV Answer Man – It’s Free! Click Here!

Andrew Marchand, who writes for The Athletic, posted a column today saying that YouTube TV and Disney are “far apart” in their negotiations to resolve the now eight-day blackout of the programmer’s channels on the Google-owned streaming service. I believe Marchand’s reporting; he’s one of the best in the business. But let me offer a few qualifying remarks:

If the companies are “far apart” this morning, that means nothing, or, at least, next to nothing. I’ve been reporting on the TV industry now for 35 years and have covered every angle of the business including the inner workings of carriage negotiations. I have talked to numerous TV officials about how these fights start, and sometimes stall, but ultimately resolve themselves in almost every case. Two sides who are ‘far apart’ can have a deal within hours. It can move that fast.

Carriage negotiations are not continuous. They happen in installments and are usually tied to events such as the eve of a big sports weekend. Companies will time counter- proposals accordingly. Consequently, Disney and YouTube TV could be far apart this morning but reach a new agreement by tomorrow at this time, just in time for the college football weekend.

Andrew says as much in his column, noting, “when these deals turn from stalemate to an agreement, it happens quickly.” But it seems that his ‘far apart’ reference is getting the most attention today so I thought I would add some context.

Hope that helps everyone better understand what’s going on. I’m not guaranteeing a resolution in 24 hours – although I have predicted it will happen – but it’s definitely possible the way these things go.

Please consider making a donation to The TV Answer Man site here at the Buy Me a Coffee site. Any donation size is appreciated and will help me continue to provide these articles to you.

Have a Question? Ask The TV Answer Man!
Have a question about a favorite show, streaming service or new TV product? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.