In a major turnaround for streaming viewers, The Walt Disney Company and YouTube TV have reached a new multi-year carriage agreement, officially ending a nearly two-week blackout of Disney-owned channels on the platform.
The standoff, which began on October 30, had removed flagship networks like ESPN and ABC — along with channels such as FX, Freeform and National Geographic — from YouTube TV’s roughly 10 million subscribers.
The dispute centered on distribution fees, with Disney insisting on higher rates for its content and YouTube TV pushing back over the potential cost burden for its customers.
Under the new deal, Disney’s full suite of networks will be restored on YouTube TV “within the next 24 hours,” according to the statement, and select services — including extended access to ESPN’s content — are slated to be included in the base plan through 2026. Both companies emphasized that the agreement reflects evolving viewer habits and commitments to flexibility and value.
The restoration comes in time for a heavy weekend of college football programming and offers relief to the many sports fans who had been affected. Analysts note this blackout was one of the longest for a major U.S. network distributor dispute in recent years, underscoring the high stakes in the evolving streaming ecosystem.
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