YouTube TV and Disney are showing renewed momentum toward a deal that could restore ESPN and other Disney channels to the platform\'s 10 million subscribers, according to sources briefed on the negotiations. The networks have been dark since October 30, preventing access to Monday Night Football and college football programming.
The primary obstacle remains disagreement over payment for Disney\'s non-sports networks including Freeform, FX and National Geographic, sources said. Disney bundles all its carriage agreements, combining ESPN networks, ABC affiliates and entertainment channels in package deals.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Disney CEO Bob Iger have become more involved in talks, sources indicate. Disney\'s negotiating team includes entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro.
YouTube TV has resisted paying for programming that draws fewer viewers, particularly as kids\' content and dramas migrate to streaming services. Disney+ already offers extensive children\'s programming through its own platform.
Distributors have complained about Disney forcing additional channels into bundle packages. Disney counters that networks are discounted when purchased together.
YouTube TV sent emails to customers Sunday offering a $20 credit for the blackout period. The platform must continue without Justin Connolly, its global head of media and sports, who switched from Disney earlier this year and was legally barred from participating in these negotiations.
FCC chairman Brendan Carr weighed in Monday on social media, urging both parties to resolve the standoff.
\"Google and Disney need to get a deal done and end this blackout,\" Carr tweeted. \"People should have the right to watch the programming they paid for — including football. Get it done!\"
Disney has quarterly earnings scheduled for Thursday afternoon, which sources suggest could provide additional motivation to finalize an agreement. Both YouTube TV and Disney declined to comment on the negotiations.