Report: YouTube TV-Disney Blackout Talks Making Significant Progress

By Phillip Swann
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Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports this afternoon that there is “potential renewed momentum” for a deal that would bring ESPN back to YouTube TV.

The report says a sticking point in the negotiations is how much the streamer should pay to carry Disney’s non-sports networks such as FX, Freeform and National Geographic.

The Disney bundle, which includes ESPN, ABC and several non-sports channels, has been blacked out on YouTube TV since Halloween when the two sides could not reach a new carriage agreement. The companies have argued over everything from carriage fees for the channels to whether YouTube TV subscribers should get free access to the entire lineup of programming on ESPN’s new Unlimited app.

Disney, which has required TV providers to carry its channels as a bundle, is scheduled to issue its new quarterly earnings report tomorrow and Marchand writes that is a ‘potential impetus’ for a new agreement.

The Athletic reporter adds that Disney CEO Robert Iger and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have become more involved in the negotiations, a sign that they are getting more serious.

Google this week began approving $20 credits to YouTube TV subscribers for losing the Disney channels over the last 13 days. The company has been dealing with subscriber defections due to the dispute while Disney is losing anywhere from $4 million to $5 million in carriage fees daily.

Consequently, both sides have motivation to get a deal done sooner than later but the question remains: When?

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