YouTube TV and Disney Reach Multi-Year Agreement to Restore ESPN and ABC Channels

YouTube TV and The Walt Disney Company have reached a multi-year distribution agreement, restoring Disney's full suite of networks—including ESPN and ABC—to YouTube TV subscribers. The agreement also grants subscribers access to ESPN's new direct-to-consumer service, Unlimited, at no additional cost.

"This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch," said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

The blackout began on October 30, 2025, when the previous carriage agreement expired without a new deal in place. During the outage, YouTube TV subscribers missed several major sporting events, including college football games and Monday Night Football broadcasts.

The new agreement ensures that YouTube TV's approximately 10 million subscribers regain access to Disney's channels in time for upcoming sports events.

"We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football," added Bergman, Walden, and Pitaro.

The deal also includes provisions for YouTube TV subscribers to access content previously exclusive to ESPN Unlimited and ESPN+.

"We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers," YouTube TV stated.

The agreement comes after negotiations that involved high-level executives from both companies, including Disney CEO Bob Iger and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

YouTube TV, which launched in 2018, has grown to become the third-largest cable-like platform in the U.S., with its subscriber base heavily reliant on live sports viewing, making ESPN and its networks essential partners.