Blackout Looms of ESPN on YouTubeTV

[syracuse95]

YTTV, with 10 million subs, wants to be treated the same as Comcast and Spectrum, which each have 12 million.

As of today they have 9,999,999 subs. I cancelled mine since my billing cycle resets tomorrow. I only use it to watch sports, and I'm not going to pay for a service I won't really use. Plus I have an antenna for the broadcast networks. I don't feel like I'm missing much not being able to get our game, so Saturday I'll just watch whatever's on CW, CBS, Fox, and ABC. It'll feel like 1991 again. Maybe I'll buy a 12-pack of Pabst pounders to complete the vibe.

 

[OburgOrange]

FWIW, I contacted YTTV support via chat was told that the credit was "randomly distributed" and has now been "exhausted." They did offer 2 weeks of "free time" instead. I took that.

I just did the same. Got the same “deal” as you.

 

[MSOrange]

ESPN’s Ratings Take a Hit Thanks to Carriage Dispute With YouTubeTV

The NFL and college football suffered a dip in viewership while the network remains dark for 10 million people.

www.si.com

 

[Nicknack]

I chatted with them and asked. They told me no soup for you. But thank you for your patience and being a valued customer. Lol

They suck. I swear, if it weren't for my kids and wife who would melt down if I changed our tv situation up, I'd be OUT. Still might be, I have a week or so before my billing cycle resets.

 

[Moontan]

In a survey 82% blame Disney. Only 18% blame YTTV.

Most Cord Cutters Blame Disney for Its Blackout on YouTube TV | Cord Cutters News

The ongoing blackout of Disney-owned channels on YouTube TV has plunged millions of streaming subscribers into frustration, stripping away access to ESPN, ABC, FX, Freeform, National Geographic, and more since October 30, 2025. What began as a high-stakes contract negotiation between media giant...

cordcuttersnews.com

The smart solution would have been to keep the current contract for an extra month (or two) during negotiations.

Crazy, crazy….

 

[Scooch]

In a survey 82% blame Disney. Only 18% blame YTTV.

Most Cord Cutters Blame Disney for Its Blackout on YouTube TV | Cord Cutters News

The ongoing blackout of Disney-owned channels on YouTube TV has plunged millions of streaming subscribers into frustration, stripping away access to ESPN, ABC, FX, Freeform, National Geographic, and more since October 30, 2025. What began as a high-stakes contract negotiation between media giant...

cordcuttersnews.com

LOL. Seems scientific.

The reality is that for these disputes consumer sentiment is a "pox on both their houses" kind of thing.

Back in the day, we did extensive consumer research to develop marketing and messaging strategies to (a) garner support, and (b) activate a call-to-arms among customers of the provider to put pressure on.

However, going back several years, people wised up and realized these are fights between billion dollar corporations. And they hate both equally. So we stopped doing that kind of research and played it pretty low-key during disputes.

Apparently whoever stepped into my old role thinks they can sway public opinion. Good luck with that!

I feel for you who are YTTV customers. Given my history with the company involved, I'm kinda getting a kick out of it all.

 

[Scooch]

The smart solution would have been to keep the current contract for an extra month (or two) during negotiations.

Crazy, crazy….

No leverage that way. Need a deadline to get movement. Most times it happens. Not this time.