ABC, ESPN, among other Disney channels discontinue from YouTube TV as contract talks collapse

ABC, ESPN and other Disney-owned networks have gone dark on YouTube TV after a carriage dispute between the two companies escalated Thursday night, hours before their current contract was officially set to expire.

In a rare break from industry protocol, the blackout occurred shortly after 11:15 pm ET, ahead of the midnight expiration. Sources familiar with the negotiations told Deadline that YouTube required extra operational time to wind down the service and notify its subscribers.