Google rejects Disney's request to restore ABC to YouTube TV on election day
LOS ANGELES – Google rejected a request from the Walt Disney Company to restore ABC to YouTube TV, the streaming platform Google owns, for a day on Nov. 4 to provide coverage of the day's elections.
The two sides are mired in contract negotiations over fees to stream Disney's channels – including ESPN and ABC – which were pulled from YouTube TV by Disney on Oct. 30.
Google has claimed that Disney is proposing "costly economic terms" in the dispute while Disney said in a statement previously provided to USA TODAY that Google is attempting to "undercut" deals it has made with other distributors.
The tech giant pointed to other news options on the streaming platform and on YouTube in its response to Disney denying the request, published on YouTube's official blog Nov. 3. "In fact, on the last two U.S. election days, the vast majority of tuned in YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC," Google said. It added that Disney's single-day proposal would cause "customer confusion."
Disney said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Nov. 3 that it asked YouTube TV to temporarily allow ABC to stream on the platform, saying it would allow YouTube TV customers "access to the information they rely on."
"We believe in putting the public interest first and hope YouTube TV will take this small step for their customers while we continue to work toward a fair agreement,” the statement read.
Google countered Disney in its response, calling on Disney to allow ABC and ESPN channels to return to YouTube TV while negotiations on the fees for the full suite of channels continue. "Those are the channels that people want," the tech giant said.
Disney responded to the declined request by saying that Google has "a fair proposal on the table to restore our channels" in an email to USA TODAY.
Which Disney channels were pulled from YouTube TV?
A variety of Disney-run channels have been pulled from YouTube TV. See the full list, per Google:
- ABC
- ABC News Live
- ACC Network
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- ESPN
- ESPNews
- ESPN2
- ESPNU
- Freeform
- FX
- FXM
- FXX
- Localish
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Wild
- SEC Network
- Spanish-language plan: ESPN Deportes, Baby TV Español, Nat Geo Mundo
USA TODAY's election coverage
USA TODAY will provide election coverage throughout the day with reporters across the country and streaming on USA TODAY's YouTube channel.
The off-year elections feature Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races and the much-watched New York City mayoral vote.