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- YouTube took a swipe at Disney when responding to its request to restore ABC stations for one day.
- YouTube TV said in the past two elections, its viewers largely did not watch ABC.
- The company added that a one-day restoration would confuse subscribers.
YouTube did not hold back in its latest jab at Disney.
In a statement published on Monday, YouTube TV took a swipe at ABC News, outlining why it won’t restore the news outlet’s stations on its platform for 24 hours.
On Monday, Disney sought to thaw weekslong tensions with the Google-owned platform after the two companies failed to negotiate a new contract that would let YouTube TV subscribers watch Disney’s television channels.
A Disney spokesperson said in a statement that the company asked YouTube to bring back ABC for Tuesday’s US Election Day. Voters head to the polls for key local contests, including the New York City mayor’s election and California’s Proposition 50, which decides whether officials can redraw the state’s congressional map.
“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,” Disney said.
But YouTube was quick to decline the offer.
“Unfortunately, your proposal would permit us to return Disney’s ABC stations only for a day and will cause customer confusion among those who may briefly see ABC on YouTube TV only to lose it again shortly after,” YouTube said in a Monday blog post.
The company also made it clear that news viewers have alternatives.
“There are plenty of other options for customers — election news information is very widely available across other broadcast stations and news networks on YouTube TV, as well as on the main YouTube service, for free,” the blog post read.
“In fact, on the last two US election days, the vast majority of tuned in YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC,” it added.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
YouTube’s statement is the latest in its standoff with the streaming giant.
Since October 30, Disney’s networks, including the ABC and ESPN channels, have been unavailable on YouTube TV as part of a blackout. Disney has said YouTube TV isn’t willing to pay the market rate.
Meanwhile, YouTube TV has said that Disney’s proposal would force it to raise prices again, while helping Disney-controlled rivals like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV. YouTube TV promised to give its customers a $20 credit if the blackout drags on.
This high-profile carriage fight meant that YouTube TV subscribers couldn’t watch ESPN’s college football games this past weekend or its popular pregame show, “College GameDay,” through the platform. A carriage fight is a disagreement over the right to “carry,” or retransmit, a broadcaster’s signal.
Disney and ESPN have tried to win over fans by stirring up outrage against YouTube TV. ESPN enlisted megastars like Stephen A. Smith, Scott Van Pelt, and Mike Greenberg — the three personalities posted short clips on social media informing viewers of the dispute and directing them to a Disney-owned website to petition YouTube TV.
The blackout and viewers switching over to competitor news or sports channels put Disney in a tough spot. Following ABC’s decision to take Kimmel off the air, Disney has been recovering from a widely followed boycott that cost it millions of streaming subscribers.
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