Youtube TV dropping ABC, ESPN, Disney

[harllee]

Recently I got an email from Youtube TV that says due to contract disputes Youtube TV is dropping all the Disney channels including ABC and all the ESPN channels effective 12/17. The email says the price for Youtube TV will drop by $15 per month and that I can sign up for the Disney Bundle (which I think includes ABC and the ESPN channels). This affects me because I watch a lot of sports. I am still mad that YouTube TV dropped the Regional Sports channel a while back and I still don't have those channels.

For those of you who have Youtube TV, are you signing up for the Disney Bundle or going with a totally different streaming service?

 

[SnowballCamper]

I might sign back up, with the cheaper price now. I dropped it when they raised prices about a year ago. It's too bad we can't just pay alacart for the channels we want from cable tv.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

These streaming services that were once a great deal for the $$$ are starting to look/act just as bad as the big, bad cable companies.

 

[COcheesehead]

We use Hulu plus an antenna and we get all the programs / local TV we want for under $10 a month.

 

[RunningBum]

I've had trouble verifying that the Disney bundle actually carries the ESPN channels, or just whatever ESPN+ shows. Have you found something that says it does?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I've had trouble verifying that the Disney bundle actually carries the ESPN channels, or just whatever ESPN+ shows. Have you found something that says it does?

I don't know the specifics, but I do know that ESPN+ pulls the same crap that Discovery+ does...as in some shows/channel content isn't available on both platforms. We signed up for a free trial of ESPN+ to watch a game on an outside TV that was on the "regular" ESPN but that wasn't part of the package. I am very glad that we aren't "sports nuts" because these tactics would make me a very unhappy camper.

 

[Sojourner]

I'm not a YTTV subscriber, so this doesn't affect me, but it does make me glad about two things. First, I am becoming less and less of a TV sports fanatic, so losing something like ESPN wouldn't matter much to me these days. Second, losing access to any individual channel (like ABC) for some period of time is not going to diminish my quality of life in any real way. Any shows missed during that period will be accessible later (in some form or fashion), and I'm in no hurry. There is so much to watch on all the other channels and streaming services, the loss of one or two for some period of time is barely noticeable.

 

[J277]

I'm alright with it if they drop it. Luckily the only thing I'll be missing is F1 and I can subscribe to them for only $80 per year which is less than half of the price difference if youtubeTV drops Disney.

 

[harllee]

OP here--upon further research it looks like the Disney Bundle does NOT include regular ESPN or ESPN2 so if Youtube TV actually does drop ESPN I will have to drop YouTube TV and find a new provider. I use to be on Spectrum, maybe I can go back with them as a new subscriber and save some money.

 

[RunningBum]

ERD pointed out in the "cut the cord" thread that Sling Orange has a $10 first month special. I went with this.

 

[bloom2708]

The Disney bundle includes ESPN+, that does not give you ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPNU. Those can only be streamed if you have a cable type subscription with those channels.

It is a jungle out there. I cannot justify a YouTubeTV, Hulu Live or Fubo TV subscription. We simply don't watch enough of the channels.

Sticking with Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney Bundle and then adding things like Paramount+ or HBO Max as needed.

 

[JRon]

For ESPN we used to have Sling TV, but then I got sick of ESPN and dropped Sling. Don’t miss it a bit.

 

[Bruno]

Local channels will be next. FCC needs to step in and start controling the people who are buying up Locals stations then charging these companies a fortune for something some peole can get with a off air antenna for FREE.

 

[daver]

Recently I got an email from Youtube TV that says due to contract disputes Youtube TV is dropping all the Disney channels including ABC and all the ESPN channels effective 12/17. The email says the price for Youtube TV will drop by $15 per month and that I can sign up for the Disney Bundle (which I think includes ABC and the ESPN channels). This affects me because I watch a lot of sports. I am still mad that YouTube TV dropped the Regional Sports channel a while back and I still don't have those channels.

For those of you who have Youtube TV, are you signing up for the Disney Bundle or going with a totally different streaming service?

If I recall, the same thing happened in September with negotiations with NBC Universal. In the end the parties agreed on a contract and all was good….

 

[harllee]

If I recall, the same thing happened in September with negotiations with NBC Universal. In the end the parties agreed on a contract and all was good….

Yeah, I am waiting until this weekend to do anything. I have looked around and if Youtube TV drops the ESPN channels then I will drop YouTube TV and go back to Spectrum. I will be treated as a new subscriber for Spectrum and I can get most of the channels I want for $65 per month for the first year.

 

[Exchme]

I got notice about the NBC dispute from YTTV when it was ongoing, but haven't seen any notice from YTTV about this. I won't worry about it until I see something from them.

 

[harllee]

I got notice about the NBC dispute from YTTV when it was ongoing, but haven't seen any notice from YTTV about this. I won't worry about it until I see something from them.

Google it --it is all over the news. I got an email from Youtube TV about it a couple of days ago. Unless Youtube TV and Disney/ESPN come to an agreement the changes are effective tomorrow.

 

[RunningBum]

I also got an email 3 days ago from YTTV about it. It's real.

 

[Dtail]

Still have Sling, but no ESPN, but okay for me.

 

[Golden sunsets]

OP here--upon further research it looks like the Disney Bundle does NOT include regular ESPN or ESPN2 so if Youtube TV actually does drop ESPN I will have to drop YouTube TV and find a new provider. I use to be on Spectrum, maybe I can go back with them as a new subscriber and save some money.

You can certainly go back to Spectrum as a new subscriber. You only have to leave Spectrum ( cable only) for 30 days and sign up again on the 31st day to get new customer pricing. We do this every year; sign up for a streaming service like Sling with a free 7 day trial and 1 month of service; go back to Spectrum after 30 days and then cancel Sling (or fill in the blank). It is worth it when you factor in the savings.

 

[Midpack]

I hope Hulu+Live doesn’t lose ESPN, but I won’t hold my breath. We’re still saving a lot over cable or satellite but the periodic major content contract disputes don’t bode well, and they’re not surprising. Spectrum, even new customer promo cost, is WAY more for $ us with a 3 TV/DVR household - they’re tack on fees are ridiculous (HD, broadcast channels, DVR, etc.). We aren’t willing to drop back to one TV/DVR to make Spectrum price competitive.

 

[harllee]

You can certainly go back to Spectrum as a new subscriber. You only have to leave Spectrum ( cable only) for 30 days and sign up again on the 31st day to get new customer pricing. We do this every year; sign up for a streaming service like Sling with a free 7 day trial and 1 month of service; go back to Spectrum after 30 days and then cancel Sling (or fill in the blank). It is worth it when you factor in the savings.

Yes that is what I will probably do if Youtube TV drops ESPN. But it will not be as good a deal as YOUtube TV is right now--I get more channels that I watch on Youtube TV. Plus the Spectrum new customer price is only good for a year.

 

[RunningBum]

Not impressed with Sling so far. I started watching it last night in preparation in case I lose ESPN on YTTV. I was watching the volleyball final 4 last night, and toward the end of the first match, right about the time it was scheduled to end, it stopped and showed a spinning circle (like it was buffering, maybe), and then just stopped. I switched over to YTTV to see the end of the match. A glitch maybe?

Today I was watching the bowl game on ESPN via Sling. At 3:28 (2 minutes before the end), I got the spinning circle again. The game was essentially over, so I tried to figure it out. Maybe I wasn't navigating it correctly but it seemed like I was on ESPN but watching some other ESPN news show. I switched over to YTTV to see if ESPN had just ended game coverage, and no, they were still showing the game. Right as they game ended and they were doing an on field interview I went back to Sling and they were showing that interview too.

Any regular Sling viewers see anything like that? Maybe it was just 2 random glitches but it seems like it wasn't handling a game that ran over it's allotted time.

 

[steelyman]

I don’t have any problems with Sling. But I recently had service from Spectrum (my ISP) that found a splitter installed at some point in the past and a poor coax hookup, probably when the home was built. Those have been addressed and Sling (as well as other Internet-dependent services) have been smooth.

 

[harllee]

Youtube Tv has now dropped ESPN etc and because we want to watch sports this weekend we are scrambling to sign up with another provider. We hate Spectrum but that s probably our cheapest option because we qualify as new customers.