Over a week after channels first vanished, there’s no sign of a deal between Disney and YouTube TV, with a “leaked” Disney memo and YouTube’s response no signaling that either side is giving in.
The Athletic, part of The New York Times, reported on a memo distributed to Disney employees today which addresses the ongoing blackout of Disney-owned channels such as ABC, and especially ESPN, on YouTube TV.
The memo reads at least in part:
…Rather than compete on a level playing field, Google’s YouTube TV has approached these negotiations as if it were the only player in the game.
It goes without saying that the reason so many consumers value our programming above others is because we invest in the best talent, creators and content in the world, and we cannot allow anyone to undercut our ability to do so.
YouTube TV continues to insist on receiving preferential terms that are below market and has made few concessions.
Other portions of the memo see Disney explaining that it has offered YouTube TV “fair terms that are in line with the more than 500 other distributors that have renewed their agreements since last summer, including the top distributors, who are far larger than YouTube TV.”
Google, in response to the “leak,” accuses Disney of leaking the memo to the press intentionally and “misrepresenting the facts.” YouTube TV “stands ready” to make a deal, the statement reads:
Once again, Disney is resorting to their old tactics like leaking documents to the press, negotiating in public through their paid talent and misrepresenting the facts including from the deals they’ve offered and taking credit for our product proposals. Our team stands ready to make a fair agreement in line with their deals with other distributors and we encourage Disney to come to the table and do what’s best for our mutual customers.
Disney’s memo brings out that “we are headed into another sports-packed weekend without a deal in place,” much to the frustration of YouTube TV subscribers. Other recent reports mentioned that a considerable number of YouTube TV subscribers are ready to cancel, while the lack of a deal seemingly led to Disney’s viewership dropping over the past week.
Needless to say, it doesn’t seem as though a deal is nearing.
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