YouTube TV blackout: Read email that Google-owned company shared with Disney leaders over their ask to restore ABC for 24 hours

The dispute between Disney and YouTube TV escalated significantly this week when Disney publicly requested that the streaming service temporarily restore its ABC channel for subscribers ahead of the US Election Day on November 4. Disney-owned networks, including ESPN and ABC, went dark for YouTube TV subscribers last week after the companies failed to reach a new distribution agreement. Despite the ongoing blackout, Disney urged YouTube TV to put “the public interest first,” arguing that subscribers should have access to the election information they rely on while negotiations continue. YouTube TV, however, not only refused the request but countered that its own data showed its subscribers deliberately avoided watching ABC during the last two Election Days.