Google and Disney are apparently having difficulties coming together on a new streaming deal, and it could result in some difficult changes for YouTube TV subscribers. On Monday, Google started informing YouTube TV customers that it could lose the suite of networks owned by The Walt Disney Company when the current deal between the two sides expires on Friday. This means that YouTube TV subscribers could lose access to ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic, Disney Channel, and others.
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It’s unclear at this time exactly what negotiations the two sides are hung up on, but they have until Friday to figure things out. If they can’t come to an agreement, YouTube TV will drop all of Disney’s networks, but the service will also drop its price to reflect the losses. YouTube TV will be scaling back its live TV cost from $64.99 per month to $49.99 per month.
In an official blog post, YouTube TV said that the company is hoping for Disney to offer “equitable terms” before a new agreement can be reached.
“If Disney offers us equitable terms, we’ll renew our agreement with them,” YouTube said in a blog post. “However, if we are unable to reach a deal by Friday, the Disney-owned channels will no longer be available on YouTube TV and we will decrease our monthly price by $15, from $64.99 to $49.99 (while this content remains off our platform).”
“Our ask to Disney, as with all our partners, is to treat YouTube TV like any other TV provider – by offering us the same rates that services of a similar size pay, across Disney’s channels for as long as we carry them,” the post continued.
This is the second time Google has been in this position with a media company in the past few months. YouTube TV was preparing to drop all NBCUniversal networks at the end of September. Google and NBCU announced a new deal at the start of October.
“Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution has a highly successful track record of negotiating such agreements with providers of all types and sizes across the country and is committed to working with Google to reach a fair, market-based agreement,” Disney said in its own statement. “We are optimistic that we can reach a deal and continue to provide their YouTube TV customers with our live sporting events and news coverage plus kids, family and general entertainment programming.”
Do you hope to see YouTube TV hang on to the Disney networks? Let us know in the comments!
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