Report: YouTube TV to offer $20 credit to subscribers if ESPN blackout extends to Sunday
When ESPN and other Disney channels went dark on YouTube TV last week, the service promised subscribers a credit if the blackout extended for an “extended period” of time. Now, users know exactly when that credit would be applied. YouTube TV has announced it will offer a $20 credit if a deal with Disney is not reached by Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.
Both parties continued negotiations on Saturday, hoping to resolve the blackout that has lasted more than a week. The blackout began shortly before the deal’s expiration at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 30, with the channels going dark at approximately 11:27 p.m. ET that night. Since then, the blackout has persisted through Week 10 of the college football season as well as Monday Night Football featuring the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.
Now, Week 11 of college football remains unavailable to YouTube TV’s roughly 10 million subscribers.
In a memo to Disney employees obtained by On3, executives indicated the blackout was likely to continue over the weekend. They said they did not know when the channels would return as negotiations remain ongoing.
“We realize this has been a challenging week, with everyone asking the same question as millions of YouTube TV subscribers during the busiest time of the year in sports: When will ESPN and ABC be back on the service?” the memo read. It was authored by Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
“We wish we could give you that answer today, but unfortunately, we are headed into another sports-packed weekend without a deal in place,” the memo added.
YouTube TV responded by criticizing Disney for “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.” As a result, the impasse continued into Saturday.
Despite the blackout on YouTube TV, ABC still broadcast the most-watched college football game of Week 10, with an average of 7.8 million viewers tuning in for Georgia’s win over Florida. FOX won the Noon ET window, where Ohio State’s victory over Penn State attracted an average of 7.2 million viewers.
Monday Night Football also saw a ratings decline compared to Week 9 of the NFL season last year. The Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals matchup averaged 16.2 million viewers, representing roughly a 20% drop from last year’s Week 9 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As negotiations continue, YouTube TV subscribers remain without access to key sports programming during a critical period of the season. Both sides are under pressure to reach a resolution soon.
https://www.on3.com/nil/news/youtube-tv-offer-20-credit-subscribers-if-espn-blackout-extends-sunday-disney/
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