NBA fans who use YouTube TV might be staring at another weekend without ESPN and ABC. And the timing could not be worse for the league.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported that Disney and Google remain “far apart” in negotiations. FOX made a deal in August. Comcast made a deal in September. Disney is the last major holdout. And the blackout is now rolling into a second week.
This is not just a college football headache. The NBA is in this, too. ABC carries weekend games. ESPN is one of the league’s primary national partners. This media rights cycle just launched. And YouTube TV is a major piece of the league’s streaming footprint.
If nothing changes, NBA fans on YouTube TV will once again have to find a different platform just to watch scheduled national games. More logins. More apps. More cost.
ESPN talent has been pushing viewers to KeepMyNetworks.com. The idea is for fans to pressure YouTube. But the messaging has mostly backfired. ESPN employee Pat McAfee even said on his show that fans shouldn’t have to listen to corporate talking points when they just want games.
YouTube TV said it won’t accept terms that “disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products.” Disney says YouTube is the holdout.
Meanwhile the league has no national window for those subscribers. And the regional blackout involving YouTube TV and FanDuel Sports is still unresolved.
Two giants are fighting over money.
NBA fans are the ones paying for it.
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