Disney and YouTube TV reach agreement to restore channels

WALT Disney Company and YouTube TV reached an agreement to restore channels such as ABC and ESPN to the online video service.

The multiyear deal includes Disney’s full channel lineup and access to the recently launched online version of ESPN, the company said in a statement Friday (Nov 14). YouTube will also be able to bundle Disney streaming services like Hulu with their service and offer packages related to specific genres.

Disney had pulled its programming from YouTube TV last month after the two sides failed to come to a new contract. Terms were not disclosed. 

“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,” Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said.

The loss of the channels sent YouTube TV customers scrambling to find ways to watch shows like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Disney even asked YouTube to restore ABC programming during Election Day.

Disney had accused the Alphabet subsidiary of “using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.”

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YouTube TV is a cable-TV alternative offering over 100 channels for US$83 a month. The service has between 9.5 million and 10 million subscribers, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated in September.

On Thursday, Disney reported fourth-quarter sales that fell short of Wall Street estimates and disclosed expenses that were set to impact profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. BLOOMBERG