Some HBCU football fans won’t be able to watch their favorite teams from the comfort of their homes on Saturday.
It’s all because of a dispute over a distribution agreement. YouTube TV and The Walt Disney Co. did not make a new deal before the agreement expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30.
The live TV service had requested a better rate from ABC and ESPN for their programming.
However, with no deal reached, YouTube TV customers learned on Friday that those channels were missing from the directory, and they received “playback error” messages if they tried to tune in to Disney-owned channels.
Disney’s terms would raise prices for YouTube TV customers, the live TV service said on its website.
“Our current agreement with Disney has approached its renewal date, and we will not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products,” YouTube TV wrote in an email sent to customers minutes after the 11:59 p.m. deadline. YouTube TV and Disney failed to reach a distribution agreement before the previous contract expired, leaving channels including ABC and ESPN unavailable to YouTube TV customers starting Friday, October 31, 2025.
“We invest significantly in our content and expect our partners to pay fair rates that recognize that value,” Disney said. YouTube TV told customers it is continuing to work with Disney to reach an agreement, but will give subscribers a $20 credit if the programs remain unavailable “for an extended period of time.”
The standard monthly price of a YouTube TV Base Plan is $82.99. The service is currently offering new subscribers a $10 monthly discount for their first three months.
Which HBCU football games will be impacted by YouTube TV/ESPN dispute
Several big Division II matchups, such as Florida A&M-Jackson State, North Carolina Central versus Howard and Morgan State versus South Carolina State — all available on ESPN+ — will not be available through YouTube TV.
How YouTube TV customers can watch lost channels
Some HBCU football fans who are YouTube TV subscribers could switch to services such as New DirecTV, Hulu or Fubo to access games.