Disney vs. YouTube TV, Day 11: Is It Over?
Phillip Swann
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YouTube TV on Halloween (October 31, 2025) lost all Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, the ABC affiliates and FX, due to a carriage dispute between the companies. Until there is a settlement, The TV Answer Man will post a daily notice here on whether the blackout has been lifted. I will publish the update in the early morning hours so when you wake up, you can check whether the two sides have settled. I encourage you to bookmark the site for easier reference.
I will also include the latest news related to the fight in the daily post so you can find out what Disney and YouTube TV executives and subscribers are saying and doing in response to the blackout.
So, it’s day 11 of the dispute. Monday at 4:30 a.m. ET. Is the dispute over? Absolutely not. Let’s go to the updates:
YouTube TV Adds Insult to Injury With $20 Credit
YouTube TV announced today that it will begin providing $20 credits to subscribers. You might think this would (somewhat) ease the frustration of customers who have been clamoring for financial relief during the blackout. However, in yesterday’s customer e-mail, YouTube TV said the credit would not be automatically applied to your bill; the streamer will send yet another e-mail with instructions on how to redeem the credit, which will likely be going through a series of steps in your Settings in your online account. In other words, you’re going to have to work for it. The news did not sit well with many YTTV subs who took to social media to complain.
YouTube TV & DIRECTV: Great Minds Think Alike!
If you’re wondering where YouTube TV got the idea for forcing customers to work for their credit, DIRECTV used the same method for distributing credits during its carriage blackouts in 2022, 2023 and 2024 (that last one was with Disney). And why would the idea appeal to YouTube TV, you ask? By not applying the credit directly to the bill, there’s a likelihood that many subscribers will either not see the e-mail with the redemption instructions or just decide not to redeem because of the hassle. Either way, YouTube TV saves money compared to automatically taking $20 off every one’s bill; in fact, the savings could be in the scores of millions. Great minds think alike, huh?
Why Monday Night Football Might Not Force a Settlement Today
The National Football League is arguably the most powerful force in the TV industry. So tonight’s juicy Monday Night Football matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers on ESPN and ABC would normally increase the pressure on both sides to settle before fans start heading for the pitchforks and torches. However, with YouTube TV issuing the $20 credit, the streamer might be inclined to let this thing continue for a while longer. With every day, YouTube TV saves money in Disney carriage fees ($5 million a day), which then can be used to help pay the credits. Plus, subscribers are less likely to cancel now – at least, until they get their credit. (Assuming they figure out how to get it.) So YouTube TV has a greater incentive now to hold out for the deal it really wants. Of course, this could prompt Disney to modify its demands, which could persuade YouTube TV to say yes. But I’m not hopeful for a Monday settlement.
And Speaking of Snow…
Once upon a time, using a TV antenna to watch your local channels meant dealing with ‘snow’ – electric static that caused the picture to break up. But with the digital TV transition in 2008, the antenna picture is a bit more reliable today although not every one can receive a strong signal for each local channel. I’m telling you this to remind you that Monday Night Football will be available on ABC tonight; so if you have YouTube TV, you might want to dust off that old antenna.
That’s it for now. Come back later today for any significant updates on the YouTube TV-Disney dispute. And don’t forget to come back EARLY Tuesday morning for the latest ‘Is It Over’ update, assuming there isn’t a settlement today.
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