If you’re watching your sports from home, you might just feel caught in the middle of a billion-dollar tug-of-war. On one side: The Walt Disney Company. On the other: YouTube TV (a Google LLC service). And right now, the scoreboard shows Disney bleeding serious cash to the tune of about $30 million per week, according to analyst Morgan Stanley.
Here’s how things got here, what it means for you and why this fight isn’t just about channels it’s about leverage, rights, and the future of TV.
On October 30, 2025, Disney’s major channels ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic, and others went dark on YouTube TV. The reason? A carriage-agreement renewal failed. These channels simply disappeared from the service.
Disney says YouTube isn’t paying enough for the channels. YouTube argues Disney is demanding too much, pushing subscribers into Disney’s own platforms. Amid that standoff, YouTube TV announced a $20 bill credit to users affected by the blackout.
Morgan Stanley analyst Ben Swinburne calculated that Disney is losing roughly $30 million per week in revenue while this blackout lasts. That estimate is based on daily losses of around $4.3 million and a projected two-week window yielding roughly $60 million missed.
A loss of $30 million a week isn’t pocket change but to Disney, it’s a real hit. Some reasons:
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Lost carriage fees: Disney doesn’t get paid by YouTube TV while its channels are off the service.
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Ad revenue risk: Programming even if carried elsewhere loses reach when key platforms are cut off, which affects advertising and sponsorship income.
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Subscriber churn: Customers unhappy with their platform might cancel, switch, or pause service, affecting not only numbers but long-term relationships.
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Negotiation pressure: The dollar figure gives Disney more steam in talks. They can say: “We’re already losing tens of millions each week this ends soon.”
If you’re using YouTube TV, especially for sports or Disney-family channels, this affects you directly:
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If you rely on ESPN or ABC for live sports, you’re missing games, possibly big ones.
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The $20 credit from YouTube is meant to soften the blow but it won’t match the value of lost channels for many.
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You might ask: Do I stay on YouTube TV or switch temporarily to another service? That’s a cost-versus-content question now.
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Keep an eye on your bill, your options, and how loyal you feel to the platform being disrupted.
This blackout highlights a major shift in how media works:
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Value of live TV: With streaming and digital platforms everywhere, live channels and sports are still premium. Losing them chips away at the ecosystem.
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Power dynamics: Disney isn’t just a content provider it’s a content empire that also owns platforms, meaning its leverage is growing. YouTube TV has scale, but reaching deal agreements and cost structures are changing.
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Risk of long disputes: When two major players go head-to-head, resolution isn’t guaranteed by deadline. Every week prolongs losses for both sides, and more importantly, frustration for viewers.
For now, Disney’s ~$30 million-per-week loss is the number everyone watches. But the real story is this: if you’re a viewer, you’re part of the collateral damage. You pay for a service that’s missing part of its promise. If you’re a stakeholder or analyst, you see leverage, cost-shifts, and strategic risk.
So while the channels are off-air for now, the game is far from over. And every week it drags on, the stakes climb higher.
