#youtube-tv

#youtube-tv

Disney and YouTube TV reached a new deal to bring channels like ABC and ESPN back to the Google-owned livestreaming platform Friday, ending a blackout for customers that dragged on for over two weeks. "As part of the new deal, Disney's full suite of networks and stations - including ESPN and ABC - have already begun to be restored to YouTube TV subscribers," The Walt Disney Co. said in a statement.

YouTube TV isn't budging in its high-profile fight with Disney - and it has leverage beyond its Google backing. The popular pay-TV service has become an industry titan in its own right and is on track to catch its cable TV rivals in the coming years, analysts say. Disney's TV networks, like ESPN and ABC, have been gone from the Google-owned TV service for over a week.

YouTube TV's 10 million subscribers have lost access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels in one of the decade's largest TV blackouts. Disney seeks higher rates to cover mounting programming costs, including the NFL, NBA and other sports for ESPN. YouTube TV is counting on its loyal customers to stick with the service despite the blackout, which could give the tech giant Google, which owns YouTube, more leverage in the dispute.

Watt's ire was caused by the ongoing carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV, which resulted in ESPN, and a bunch of other Disney networks, going dark on the Google-owned pay TV service on October 30th. The two companies are fighting over the money YouTube has to pay to carry Disney's networks, with both rejecting the other side's demands as unreasonable.

Forget the streaming wars. How about the carriage wars? In the past year, YouTube has had heated negotiations with a number of entertainment companies, from NBCUniversal to Paramount to Univision, as it's re-situated itself as a major streaming and pay-TV competitor. Now YouTube TV and the Walt Disney Company find themselves at a standstill as they go over renewal talks for Disney cable channels on the live-television streamer. The deal expires tonight, and if you're a YouTube TV subscriber, you're probably wondering what happens next.

They didn't reveal the dollars involved, but a press release mentions that it includes an agreement for some full TV shows, clips, and highlights on regular YouTube, as well as confirming the relaunch of NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) after it shut down four years ago.

A prolonged blackout could interrupt the start of Fox's NFL season that begins on Sept. 7. "Fox is asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive," YouTube said late Monday in a blog post. "Our priority is to reach a deal that reflects the value of their content and is fair for both sides without passing on additional costs to our subscribers."