YouTube TV blackout with Disney: How to watch ESPN, ABC and more as a YouTube TV subscriber
If you are a YouTube TV subscriber, it appears that you won't be able to catch any college football games on ABC or ESPN this weekend. The Walt Disney Co has pulled its channels from the platform after the two companies failed to reach new terms on their latest carriage agreement.
The dispute between Disney and YouTube resulted in all of Disney's channels being removed from YouTube TV at midnight on October 30th, with no clear end date for when they may return.
Big sporting events like college football are typically what drive these types of channel blackouts, but this means that even major games such as Monday Night Football will be unavailable to viewers.
While the news may seem disappointing, there are plenty of alternatives available for those who want to watch ESPN and Disney-owned channels. Sling offers day passes for $5 per day, allowing users to access individual networks. However, ABC is not included in the Orange tier, so users would need to add the Sports Extra package.
There are also cheaper options such as Fubo TV, which offers a 7-day free trial and then costs $80 per month. DirecTV has recently offered promotions that include discounts of over $250 for new customers.
If you're looking for a way to watch local ABC programming without subscribing to any additional channels, getting an over-the-air antenna may be the cheapest option at under $30.
For those concerned about missing major sporting events such as college football or Monday Night Football on ESPN/ABC, here's what's on this week:
- Monday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
- NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The story has been updated to reflect YouTube TV's latest decision regarding the return of Disney channels.
If you are a YouTube TV subscriber, it appears that you won't be able to catch any college football games on ABC or ESPN this weekend. The Walt Disney Co has pulled its channels from the platform after the two companies failed to reach new terms on their latest carriage agreement.
The dispute between Disney and YouTube resulted in all of Disney's channels being removed from YouTube TV at midnight on October 30th, with no clear end date for when they may return.
Big sporting events like college football are typically what drive these types of channel blackouts, but this means that even major games such as Monday Night Football will be unavailable to viewers.
While the news may seem disappointing, there are plenty of alternatives available for those who want to watch ESPN and Disney-owned channels. Sling offers day passes for $5 per day, allowing users to access individual networks. However, ABC is not included in the Orange tier, so users would need to add the Sports Extra package.
There are also cheaper options such as Fubo TV, which offers a 7-day free trial and then costs $80 per month. DirecTV has recently offered promotions that include discounts of over $250 for new customers.
If you're looking for a way to watch local ABC programming without subscribing to any additional channels, getting an over-the-air antenna may be the cheapest option at under $30.
For those concerned about missing major sporting events such as college football or Monday Night Football on ESPN/ABC, here's what's on this week:
- Monday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
- NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The story has been updated to reflect YouTube TV's latest decision regarding the return of Disney channels.
Blackout alert for sports fans 
ESPN and ABC are out of commission now! Time to dust off that old antenna or shell out some cash for a new service 
so dis happened cuz youtube tv couldn't come to an agreement w/ disney over their channels... now we gotta find alternative ways 2 watch espn & abc games... like, i no sling has day passes but u need the sports extra package 4 abc and that's not cheap... i was lookin 2 watch monday night football wit my squad but now we gotta get creative 
or we can just use an over-the-air antenna 4 under $30 lol what a world...
this is like a nightmare for all you Goofy and Mickey fans out there!!! how r u supposed 2 watch ur fave shows like The Mandalorian on ABC or ESPN now? 
just thought id share my 2 cents 
The recent blackout of Disney channels on YouTube TV is quite a bummer for cord-cutters and live sports enthusiasts alike 
. The key takeaway here is the importance of having multiple, affordable alternatives in place for viewers who rely on live TV for their entertainment and news fix 
.
. And let's not forget about over-the-air antennas as a cost-effective solution 
. It just goes to show that even in the age of streaming, there will always be ways to stay connected to the world around us without breaking the bank 
.
OMG, have you seen the stats on channel blackouts lately? 
There are some sick alternatives like Sling's day passes ($5/day) or Fubo TV's 7-day free trial 
... and if you're feeling fancy, DirecTV has promos that'll save you over $250 
! The stats show that in the last quarter of 2024, channel blackouts resulted in a loss of 2.5M subscribers... yikes! 
But did you know that sports events are the top reason people cut their cable? 
According to Google Trends, interest in over-the-air antennas increased by 20% in the last year alone 
!
- especially with college football games going down. But, I guess I can just use my Sling day passes to catch the highlights? 
. Anyone know if DirecTV has any decent deals for new customers right now? 
And what's up with Fubo TV's 7-day free trial? Trying to find a cheap alternative here...