As of Oct. 31, YouTube TV subscribers have lost access to all Disney-owned channels, including ABC, ESPN, FX, Disney Channel, and more.
Disney pulled its channels from the live TV streaming service following contract disputes that could not be resolved ahead of the 11:59 p.m. ET Oct. 31 deadline.
“Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV,” YouTube TV said in a statement posted to X late on Oct. 30.
It marks the third time in the last two months that YouTube TV faced a contract dispute with network partners; previously, Google (YouTube TV’s parent company) struggled to reach updated contracts with FOX and NBCUniversal.
If you’re a YouTube TV customer, it means you’ve lost access to ESPN and ABC, among others, just as another big weekend of college football kicks off with a slate that includes Vanderbilt vs. Texas, Miami vs. SMU, Georgia vs. Florida, Notre Dame vs. Boston College, South Carolina vs. Ole Miss, Oklahoma vs. Tennessee, and more.
If the dispute continues on, Monday Night Football between the Cardinals and the Cowboys will also be blacked out.
There are solutions, though, including our favorite live TV streaming service: DIRECTV, which is offering some great deals in addition to a five-day free trial on all plans.
How to watch ESPN and ABC for free
DIRECTV offers a number of flexible plan options that include the affected channels, plus all plans come with a five-day free trial (which is especially great if not missing college football is your only concern here).
Below, we break down some of DIRECTV’s most popular plans by how much they cost after a five-day free trial and what channels they include.
- Entertainment: $49.99/month for the first month ($89.99/month after)
- ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, Freeform, FX, FXX, Nat Geo
- Choice: $59.99/month for the first month ($94.99/month after)
- ABC, ACC Network, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, FXX, Nat Geo, SEC Network
- Ultimate: $84.99/month for the first month ($124.99/month after)
- ABC, ACC Network, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, SEC Network
- MySports Genre Pack: $59.99/month for the first two months ($69.99/month after)
- ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, SEC Network
- MyEntertainment Genre Pack: $29.99/month for the first two months ($34.99/month after)
- Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews
