What the YouTube TV vs. Disney Carrier Dispute Means for Viewers (and What to Do About It)
TV fans suffer while media giants haggle
Streaming was supposed to save us from all of the cable inconveniences and drama, right? Unfortunately for YouTube TV customers, that is not currently the case.
College football and NFL fans had the rug pulled out from under them this past week when ESPN and ABC went dark, and now the general electorate will (at least partially) face the same annoyance on Tuesday, November 7, during the current off-cycle elections.
But don’t worry, these carrier disputes come and go (anyone remember Charter Spectrum vs. Disney from two years ago?), and I’ve got a few suggestions on how you can still watch Disney-owned channels in the meantime. But first, some context.
A public airing of grievances will only hurt the bottom line
Disney has a little more leverage in this battle of the mega media conglomerates, since it just launched its ESPN standalone streaming service, ESPN Unlimited, which carries every live ESPN channel. This means ESPN fans can skip the live TV streaming packages that now cost just as much as, if not more than, traditional cable and watch every ESPN channel at a lower cost.
Translation: YouTube TV is putting a lot in jeopardy (i.e., a roughly 10-million-strong customer base) because folks can simply cancel their service (contracts are month-to-month) and go directly to ESPN for their sports. Not only does Disney now have more leverage, but YouTube TV still has to combat live TV streaming competitors like DIRECTV, Fubo, and Sling TV, which all carry the ESPN family of networks.
IMO, election day coverage won’t be a problem for most viewers, since, as a salty YouTube TV statement featured in Variety put it:
“There are plenty of other options for customers—election news information is very widely available across other broadcast stations and news networks on YouTube TV, as well as on the main YouTube service, for free. In fact, on the last two U.S. election days, the vast majority of tuned-in YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC.”
Dayum, YouTube TV! Savage. So, if I were a news junky and a YouTube TV customer, I wouldn’t worry too much about missing off-year election coverage. That said, the dispute will likely continue until Friday, November 7, and maybe even through the weekend, as these types of carrier disputes typically last one to three weeks.
So, all you sportsball followers should start looking for ESPN alternatives in case things continue to go south.
Don’t cancel your YouTube TV subscription just yet
You probably don’t want to foot two or more TV bills this November, right? Well, depending on your YouTube TV billing date, you might have to if you sign up for another service as a knee-jerk reaction to all this carrier dispute nonsense.
That’s why I recommend reviewing your billing date and then signing up for a free streaming trial to avoid being double-billed. CableTV.com recommends DIRECTV’s five-day free streaming trial, which includes ESPN networks, ABC, and plenty of regional sports networks (RSNs) for maximum sports coverage.
You can also get a free trial from Fubo, but you won’t have access to TNT, TBS, and truTV, which are essential for viewing NHL matches and some college sports.
These streaming alternatives are especially useful for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers who can’t outright ditch YouTube TV. And for customers who wait it out, YouTube TV is currently offering $10 off a month for six months as a peace offering—some paltry savings, to be sure, but it’s something.
In any case, I recommend reviewing your options carefully before switching streamers.
