YouTube TV Unveils New Update on ESPN, ABC Blackouts

Although ESPN remains at the forefront of the conversation, a YouTube TV spokesperson revealed more of the background behind the blackouts. Specifically, as Awful Announcing highlighted, the spokesperson stated that YouTube TV and Disney are "in alignment" regarding the price of ESPN, but the issue remains with ABC.

"...the two sides are in alignment when it comes to the price for ESPN. The primary sticking point in the negotiation currently is the price of ABC," a YouTube spokesperson said.

It's a noteworthy tidbit, but also one that comes with some confusion. Disney has opted to simulcast live sports that were previously only on ESPN to ABC. The most obvious example of this is, of course, Monday Night Football.

Regardless of the issue leading to the blackouts currently stemming from negotiations surrounding ABC, if the argument relates to sports, it's tough to gauge how to interpret that. Considering Disney's approach to utilizing both networks for sports, it presents a challenging negotiating spot, and one that YouTube TV would understandably resist.

How Blackouts of ESPN & ABC Impact YouTube TV and Disney

The loss of popular Disney channels such as ESPN and ABC has heavily impacted consumers over the roughly two-week span. However, both YouTube TV and Disney are taking significant hits throughout the negotiations as well.

Disney is reportedly losing roughly $5 million daily throughout the blackouts, according to Awful Announcing, and the subscriber hit continues to be a hot-button topic on the YouTube TV side. However, the impacts for both parties in negotiations could far exceed any financial loss if the deal is what either deems as unfair or not financially viable.

None of this, understandably, is something subscribers to YouTube TV are concerned about after going through an extended period without the extremely popular channels. One thing that remains certain is that viewer frustration grows daily; however, whether that will lead to a long-term loss of subscribers for YouTube TV remains a big question mark.

YouTube TV's decision to offer a $20 credit to all subscribers to help offset the blackouts of channels like ESPN and ABC may help with some of the frustration. However, if the ongoing negotiations loom much longer, it's unlikely that a credit, even if offered for a second month, would be enough to avoid a substantial number of lost subscribers.