ESPN and other Disney-owned channels will return to YouTube TV following a new deal announced Friday. More than 20 channels on YouTube TV were shut down on October 31, but two weeks later – and after CEO Bob Iger and Sundar Pichai were reportedly more involved – the companies reached an agreement.
As part of this new deal, ESPN’s “full range of sports” will be available to those who subscribe to the base YouTube TV plan through the end of next year. Diversity Report.
YouTube says, “We are pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service to our customers and the future flexibility of our offerings.” “Customers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX return to their service during the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our customers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.”
“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving the way audiences watch,” Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. Diversity“This recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV customers with greater flexibility and choice, We are pleased our network has been restored in time for fans to enjoy so many great programming options, including college football this weekend,”