The battle between YouTube TV and ESPN doesn’t appear to have an end in sight — so users will be getting some money back.
Subscribers were informed on Sunday that they would be issued a $20 credit because of the ongoing dispute between the provider and the Disney-owned sports network.
“We’ve been working in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content and returns their programming to YouTube TV,” YouTube TV told its subscribers in an email, per Pro Football Talk. “We know it’s been disappointing to lose Disney content, and we want you to know we deeply appreciate your patience. In light of the disruption, we’re offering our subscribers a $20 credit. . . . Over the next few days, you will receive a follow-up email with instructions on how to redeem your $20 credit for YouTube TV. Once redeemed, this will be applied to your next bill.”
The email does not give a good indication that a deal will be struck by the two sides before “Monday Night Football,” with the Eagles and Packers slated to round out the Week 10 slate of games.
And NFL and college football fans could be looking at another week of missed games if the stalemate between the two sides continues.
YouTube TV previously told its customers that if the disruption lasted an extended period of time it would issue a credit to customers.
Things weren’t looking much brighter last week either, when The Athletic reported that the sides were “far apart” on a price that YouTube TV was willing to pay the network per subscriber.
An internal memo that was viewed by The Athletic also showed how Disney execs view things between the two sides.
How to watch ESPN and ABC for free without YouTube TV
There are a few other live TV streaming services offering great deals and channels that YouTube TV customers no longer have access to.
DIRECTV offers a free 5-day trial covering all the affected channels with plans starting at just $49.99/month for your first month. That unlocks NFL, NBA, NHL, and college football across ESPN, ABC, and more, plus regional sports networks in most markets, all for one price.
If you’re not ready to commit to a full subscription and just want to catch a night of sports on ESPN, Sling TV is an excellent alternative due to the unmatched flexibility it offers with plans that include one-day passes. Sling Orange Day Passes are priced at $4.99, and you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN and ESPN2.
In a memo signed by Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, they wrote that “rather than compete on a level playing field, Google’s YouTube TV has approached these negotiations as if it were the only player in the game.”
“It goes without saying that the reason so many consumers value our programming above others is because we invest in the best talent, creators and content in the world, and we cannot allow anyone to undercut our ability to do so,” it continued.
In a statement to The Athletic, YouTube TV said, in part, that “Disney is resorting to their old tactics like leaking documents to the press, negotiating in public through their paid talent and misrepresenting the facts including from the deals they’ve offered and taking credit for our product proposals.”
