YouTube offers to bring back ESPN as 24% of subscribers say they’re canceling

YouTube TV is trying to stop a subscriber exodus by offering to bring back ESPN and ABC while its stalled negotiations with Disney continue.

The dispute began on October 30 when ESPN vanished from YouTube TV after the two companies failed to reach a new carriage agreement. Disney blasted YouTube TV in a statement, claiming the platform had “chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most” and accused Google of refusing to pay fair rates for ESPN and ABC.

The blackout instantly set off outrage among sports fans who lost access to live NBA, NFL, college football, and more. Now, new data highlights just how damaging the dispute is becoming for YouTube.

A Drive Research survey of roughly 1,100 YouTube TV users found that 24 percent say they’ve already canceled or plan to cancel if ESPN stays dark. That’s nearly one in four customers ready to walk.

YouTube TV proposes bringing back ESPN if Disney agrees

With pressure mounting, YouTube publicly shared a letter it sent to Disney proposing a quick fix. The company says it wants to immediately restore ESPN and ABC while the two sides continue negotiating.

“We propose immediately restoring the Disney channels that our customers watch: ABC and the ESPN networks, while we continue to negotiate,” YouTube wrote. “Those are the channels that people want.”

YouTube also slipped in a jab at Disney’s long history of TV carriage battles. “As you know from the many content disputes you’ve been part of, customers don’t want companies fighting and content blackouts.”

The message ends with Google saying it can get the channels live “in hours” if Disney agrees.

YouTube also compensated users for the loss of Disney channels like ESPN and ABC with a $60 discount, but it was tucked away so well that many did not realize it existed.

So far, there’s no sign Disney is budging. The company has its own leverage and has seen subscriber pushback too, after raising the price of an annual Disney Plus plan to $160.

With nearly a quarter of YouTube TV customers threatening to leave, both sides face growing pressure to reach a deal. Until then, sports fans remain stuck in the middle.