YouTube TV and Disney Do Not Come To Agreement Before Monday Night Football [UPDATED]
The NFL could permit ESPN to stream the game for free on its app or encourage both companies to temporarily make the broadcast available while negotiations continue.
UPDATE: YouTube TV and Disney failed to reach a carriage agreement before the start of Monday Night Football.
YouTube TV and Disney/ESPN remain at an impasse, leaving subscribers without access to most college football games over the weekend. If an agreement is not reached by Monday night, Monday Night Football will also be unavailable to nearly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers.
Carriage disputes have become increasingly common in the streaming era, but blackouts involving NFL games remain rare. Given the league’s importance to viewership and subscriber retention, distributors such as YouTube TV typically resolve said issues before fans miss a single NFL matchup.
Thus, the expectation remains that both sides will reach a deal before the Cowboys-Cardinals game tonight. However, this dispute appears more contentious than previous ones, underscored by ESPN’s decision to deploy high-profile talent like Stephen A. Smith and Scott Van Pelt to publicly urge viewers to pressure Google to accept Disney’s terms.
If the blackout continues, the NFL will face mounting pressure to intervene.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Bar patrons watch the YouTube TV telecast of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers on September 05, 2025 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
Over the weekend, ESPN streamed "College GameDay" for free on the ESPN App and on Pat McAfee’s X account as a workaround to the YouTube TV blackout. But, under contractual terms, ESPN cannot offer Monday Night Football to users without a subscription package that includes the network. Any exception would require authorization from the league.
The NFL could permit ESPN to stream the game for free on its app or encourage both companies to temporarily make the broadcast available while negotiations continue.
For those thinking the NFL doesn't care enough about its fans to get involved, you might be right. A blackout on YouTube TV would significantly reduce overall viewership for Monday Night Football — a scenario neither the NFL nor ESPN would welcome.
While some fans may switch to alternative streaming services such as Hulu + Live TV, others are unlikely to do so, resulting in diminished audience numbers.
Put simply, Google, Disney, and the NFL are three of the most powerful companies in the United States. And none of them want YouTube TV subscribers to miss Monday Night Football tonight.
Someone is going to cave, and it might have to be the NFL.