YouTube TV seeks fair deal with Disney, offers subscribers $20 refund

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For the second straight week, Monday Night Football might be a no-show for YouTube TV subscribers, unless, of course, they enjoy watching corporate negotiations drag on in overtime.

Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ABC, FX, and National Geographic, have been missing from YouTube TV’s lineup since October 30, leaving subscribers without sports, sitcoms, and soft-spoken nature documentaries. 

The reason? A classic case of “he said, mouse said.”

Google claims Disney wants to hike up carriage fees and is using a blackout as a power play. 

Disney, meanwhile, says Google just doesn’t want to pay fair rates, accusing the $3 trillion tech giant of “using its market dominance to undercut the industry.” (Via: TechCrunch)

Both sides think the other one is greedy.

In the meantime, YouTube TV is trying to soften the blow, or at least the next bill. The company emailed subscribers Sunday, offering a $20 credit “in light of the disruption.” 

It’s not exactly enough to cover a month of cable, but it might buy you wings and a beer to watch the game elsewhere.

“We know it’s been disappointing to lose Disney content,” the email reads. “We deeply appreciate your patience.” 

A follow-up email will tell subscribers how to claim their $20 refund, which will be applied to their next bill.

Despite the olive branch, there’s no sign of progress between the streaming giant and the House of Mouse. 

For now, subscribers are stuck in sports limbo, their recordings from Disney-owned channels vanished into the digital abyss.

The stalemate comes at an awkward time. YouTube recently became the most-watched media distributor in the US, according to Nielsen, surpassing even Disney and Netflix. 

But being number one apparently doesn’t guarantee you get to stream Monday Night Football.

So if you’re a YouTube TV subscriber this week, maybe grab that $20 refund, find a friend with cable, and hope the next big play happens off the field, in the boardroom.