Key Points
- Google and Disney have reached an agreement that allows ESPN, ABC and other networks to be restored to YouTube TV.
- Financial terms were not disclosed.
- YouTube TV subscribers will gain access to ESPN Unlimited as part of the arrangement.
The Walt Disney Company and Google reached a deal on Friday that allowed streaming service YouTube TV to restore access to ESPN, FX, National Geographic and ABC, among other channels.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Google said in a statement to customers that the new agreement allows them to offer ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost to YouTube TV subscribers. The ESPN Unlimited perk will be made available to customers by the end of 2026.
“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers,” YouTube said in a statement. “Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their library.” We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.”
Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and David Waldman, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, said the new distribution arrangement reflects evolving consumer behavior across linear and streaming platforms.
“We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football,” the executives said.
The dispute began on Halloween when Google’s contract to offer live channels from Disney expired without a new agreement in place. Both sides were initially at odds over how much Google should pay Disney for the privilege of distributing ESPN and ABC to subscribers, but discussions eventually turned to other finer points, including the length of any future contract between both sides.
