Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is calling on Disney and YouTube TV to resolve their ongoing carriage dispute that has left millions of viewers without access to ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned networks.
In a post on X, Carr said the two sides “need to get a deal done and end this blackout.” Adding that “people should have the right to watch the programming they paid for — including football.”
The blackout began at the end of October, when Disney and YouTube TV failed to reach new retransmission and carriage agreements before their previous deal expired. As a result, Disney-owned broadcast and cable networks were pulled from the Google-owned streaming TV platform. Leaving subscribers unable to watch major college football matchups, Monday Night Football, and other live sports and entertainment programming.
The public dispute has quickly escalated, with both companies blaming each other for the impasse.
YouTube TV claims Disney is demanding terms that would force price increases for customers. While Disney argues that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is leveraging its market power to “eliminate competition” and avoid paying “industry-standard” rates already accepted by other distributors.
Meanwhile, YouTube TV has attempted to ease subscriber frustration. Offering affected users a $20 credit and assuring customers that it is “working to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content and returns their programming to YouTube TV.”
Carr’s involvement underscores growing frustration among policymakers as consumers increasingly find themselves. Caught in the middle of high-stakes disputes between major content providers and distributors. Though the FCC does not directly intervene in private retransmission negotiations. Carr’s comments reflect mounting public pressure on both companies to prioritize viewers over leverage.
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