YouTube TV, ESPN Spurns Customers in the Middle of CFB Season

College football fans will likely need to find an alternative way to watch their favorite teams this Saturday, as Disney, the parent company of ESPN and ABC, is in a contract dispute with the popular cable-alternative streaming service YouTube TV.

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As of Thursday night, Disney channels are no longer accessible on YouTube TV. This includes all ESPN channels and ABC, the home of SEC football for the 2025 college football season. The majority of SEC games have appeared on Disney networks this season, so the contract dispute will hit SEC fans hard on Saturday if the two networks don't come to a resolution. This weekend, three of the six SEC games will be on ABC, two will be on SEC Network (an ESPN-controlled network), and one will be on ESPN. No games will be available for YouTube TV customers.

Both ESPN and YouTube TV have released statements on the matter.

"Unfortunately, Google's YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC," ESPN's statement read. "Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming, which includes the best lineup in live sports - anchored by the NFL, NBA, and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams playing this weekend. With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we've successfully negotiated with every other distributor. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible."

"Members, when we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair pricing to offer you the best TV experience," YouTube TV's statement said. "Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we'll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s TV products.

"Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV. This means you will no longer be able to watch channels like ABC and ESPN or access recordings from these networks in your Library.

"We know how disruptive it is to lose channels you enjoy, and we’re committed to continuing to work with Disney to reach an agreement. If their content is unavailable for an extended period of time, we'll offer our members a $20 credit."

YouTube TV says updates can be found at yt.be/disney.

For Alabama fans, you have another week before potentially searching for a new TV provider, as the Crimson Tide is on a bye week this week before hosting LSU on November 8. Every game left on Alabama's schedule, including potential matchups in the SEC championship and the College Football Playoffs, will appear on Disney-controlled networks.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.