YouTube and Walt Disney announced Friday that Disney-owned networks, including ABC, ESPN, FX, and National Geographic, will return to YouTube TV after a fee dispute left millions of subscribers without access to key programming, including US Election Day coverage and major sports events.
ESPN’s full sports lineup, including ESPN Unlimited, will also be available to base-plan subscribers at no extra cost through 2026, YouTube said.
The disagreement centered on carriage fees, the per-subscriber rates distributors pay to carry networks. Disney’s channels were removed on October 30, disrupting one of the largest pay-TV platforms in the US.
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said his company had offered a deal “equal to or better than what other large distributors have already agreed to,” while financial terms were not disclosed by either company.
Analysts noted that YouTube TV’s rapid growth and Google’s financial backing gave the platform more leverage in negotiations compared with traditional pay-TV providers.
The dispute had raised investor concerns for Disney, whose cable TV business has struggled despite growth in its streaming and parks divisions.
