YouTube TV subscribers have misplaced entry to ESPN, ABC and different Disney channels as the 2 firms battle to barter a licensing deal.
Disney stated the net pay-TV platform, which is owned by tech large Google and is on the market solely within the US, has refused to pay honest charges for content material, which additionally contains National Geographic and Disney Channel.
In its personal assertion, YouTube TV stated that Disney's proposed phrases “harm our members while benefiting Disney's own live TV products”.
After tense negotiations, the channels disappeared from YouTube TV simply earlier than midnight Thursday — the deadline to achieve a brand new deal. About 10 million clients will likely be affected by the blackout.
If Disney Channels stay suspended for an “extended period of time,” YouTube TV stated it’s going to present subscribers with a $20 credit score.
YouTube and Disney-owned Hulu are among the many largest on-line TV platforms within the US.
Their stand-off follows related contentious negotiations this 12 months between YouTube and different media firms, which additionally threatened to restrict the reveals accessible to YouTube TV subscribers.
Google struck a last-minute cope with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to maintain reveals like “Sunday Night Football” on YouTube TV earlier this month. It has additionally inked offers with Paramount and Fox in latest months.
In separate statements, each Google and Disney stated they have been working towards a decision to revive Disney content material on YouTube TV.
Still, firms are divided on charges.
“With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut industry-standard terms that we have successfully negotiated with every other distributor,” a Disney spokesperson stated in an announcement.
But YouTube stated in an announcement that Disney is proposing “expensive economic terms” that will increase costs for YouTube TV subscribers and restrict their choices for content material, which might profit Disney's personal reside TV choices like Hulu + Live TV.
With inputs from BBC