Disney vs. YouTube TV, Day 12: Is It Over? (Iger, Credits, FCC, Sunday Ticket)
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.
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.
So, it’s day 12 of the dispute. Tuesday at 4:10 a.m. ET. Is the dispute over? Sorry, it is not. Let’s go to the updates:
Report: YouTube TV Wants Better Rates Than Rivals
John Ourand of Puck has just reported that YouTube TV is seeking a carriage fee for ESPN that’s below what is now paid by its top rivals, Comcast, DIRECTV and Spectrum TV. “I’m told that ESPN has agreed to give YouTube TV the same rate as the three biggest distributors in the business-Comcast, Charter, and DIRECTV, which have negotiated the lowest rates: a figure believed to be a little more than $10 per subscriber per month,” the Puck correspondent writes. YouTube TV’s argument is that it’s growing faster than any other TV provider (now around 10 million in subs) so its rate should be based on its projected future subscriber total. This is like a free agent baseball player who is often paid based on his potential, not his current numbers. Well, that may work in baseball, but Disney is saying ‘SEE…YOU…LATER!’ to YouTube TV’s proposal. To learn more, see The Puck article here.
The 600-Pound Gorilla In the Room Ignores the 600-Pound Gorilla In the Room
Disney CEO Robert Iger, one of the most powerful people in the industry, guested last night on ESPN’s ManningCast, the alternative Monday Night Football broadcast hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning. When the appearance was announced earlier in the day, the TV world expected Iger to offer an insightful update on the YouTube TV dispute. However, the Manning Brothers didn’t ask Iger anything about the fight nor did the Disney chief volunteer anything. Instead, Iger discussed his views of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Tush Push play. That’s somewhat ironic with many YouTube TV subscribers saying they are taking it in the tush. To learn more, click here.
YouTube TV Subs: Like That $20 Credit? You Might Not Get Another One
YouTube TV this week finally began offering $20 credits to subscribers who have been inconvenienced by the Disney blackout. Of course, the credit itself added to the inconvenience because it was not automatically added to your bill; you had to go into your Settings and go clicking for it. However, the credit was still welcome relief for YTTV customers who have been clamoring for something from their TV provider. Despite the credit’s popularity, subscribers shouldn’t assume YouTube TV will fork over another one. One customer yesterday asked the streamer’s X support team if there would be another credit if the blackout continues. “Our users will remain our top priority & we’ll revisit plans as the situation develops,” came the non-committal response. In other words, don’t call us; we’ll call you.
FCC’s Carr Finally Starts Up After 11-Day Stall
Remember Brendan Carr? He’s the outspoken FCC chairman whose tough words to Google last August during the YouTube TV-Fox carriage scrap possibly prevented a blackout. However, Carr has been remarkably silent during the YouTube TV-Disney dispute. That is, until now. The FCC chief yesterday posted on X that “Google and Disney need to get a deal done and end this blackout. People should have the right to watch the programming they paid for — including football. Get it done!” Did you notice the difference in Carr’s remark? During the Fox-YouTube TV fight, he blasted Google, not Fox and Google. Some analysts, including yours truly, saw that as his not-so-subtle way to warn Google that it could face federal regulatory issues if it didn’t settle. But now Carr is criticizing both companies. Why? The administration likes the conservative-leaning Fox, but it has been openly critical of both Disney and Google who lean left. In other words, it doesn’t have a dog in this hunt which would explain the 11-day silence.
NFL Sunday Ticket Subs Can’t Run the Option Play
Some YouTube TV subscribers are switching to other services, or getting free trials, to continue watching ESPN and the Disney channels. However, YTTV customers who have bundled the NFL Sunday Ticket with their plans don’t really have that option. They went with the Ticket bundle because YouTube offered a discount on the football plan prior to the start of the season. But now, if they cancel YouTube TV, and switch to another provider that has Disney, ABC and ESPN, they will lose access to their Sunday Ticket subscription. The irony here is that they are losing football games on ESPN and ABC because of their love for football.
That’s it for now. Come back later today for more updates, and definitely come back early tomorrow morning for the latest ‘Is It Over’ update, assuming the companies don’t settle by then.
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