The Disney-YouTube TV blackout extended past a second Monday night, and it remains unclear whether an end is in sight.
YouTube TV subscribers missed a second-straight “Monday Night Football” game as the Disney-owned networks, including ESPN and all ABC stations, remained blacked out on the Google-owned streaming MVPD through Monday’s Eagles-Packers game. The Disney-YouTube TV blackout has now lasted 11 full days and spanned two full college football and NFL weekends.
According to John Ourand of Puck, the companies were “talking” as late as Monday night, but with no indication that they are any closer to a deal to break the stalemate.
Ourand provided perhaps the clearest insight into what is holding up a new deal, reporting Monday that the issue is not just price, but Google’s desire to obtain a lower rate than any other distributor. According to Ourand, Disney is willing to charge Google the lowest rate it currently offers, the $10 per subscriber per month that it reportedly obtains from leading distributors Comcast, Charter and DIRECTV. But Google is seeking an even lower rate.
If Disney were to agree to Google’s request, it would reportedly have to offer the same rate to the other large distributors, who are believed to have Most Favored Nations clauses in their deals that require that they be paid the lowest rate. Per Ourand, Disney views that possibility as a “major concession.”
While much of the public reaction to the conflict has fallen along the lines of ‘a pox on both their houses,’ it is fairly clear that Disney has taken the brunt of criticism in the court of public opinion. For its part, YouTube TV over the weekend began offering subscribers a $20 credit due to the blackout, but did not credit accounts automatically as had been done in past conflicts. Instead, users were instructed to opt into the credit.
Tuesday morning, FCC chairman Brendan Carr wrote that Google and Disney “need to get a deal done and end this blackout.” Carr previously weighed in on Google’s protracted negotiations with Fox earlier this year, which ended with the companies avoiding a blackout and reaching a new deal. But the administration previously implored Google to reach a deal to restore Univision, which remains blacked out on YouTube TV.
So far, there has been some evidence that the blackout is impacting viewership for Disney programming, particularly ESPN sporting events. The first “Monday Night Football” game missed during the conflict was the least-watched of the season to air on both ESPN and ABC.
Other networks have seemed to benefit. FOX had its most-watched “Big Noon Saturday” game of the season on the first Saturday of the conflict November 1. And opposite “MNF” two nights later, TNT Sports averaged 531,000 for its season opening college basketball doubleheader — nearly tripling last year, with Arizona-Florida (643K) ranking as the most-watched opening Monday game since 2012.
Viewership figures for this past weekend’s games will be out later Tuesday.
