YouTube TV blackout with Disney: How to watch ESPN, ABC and more as a YouTube TV subscriber
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It doesn't look like Disney-owned channels including ABC and ESPN will be returning to YouTube TV anytime soon. The Walt Disney Co. pulled its channels from YouTube TV as of midnight on Oct. 30 after the two companies failed to reach new terms on their latest carriage agreement. While big sporting events are often where the rubber meets the road on these channel blackouts, YouTube TV subscribers were unable to see any college football games on ABC or ESPN all weekend, and it looks like anyone hoping to watch tonight's Monday Night Football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys will suffer the same fate: YouTube TV management has officially rebuffed Disney's request for a 24-hour restoration of its channels in a blog post — ostensibly to offer coverage of Tuesday's elections — proposing instead that Disney reactivate the feeds for ABC and ESPN while negotiations continue.
YouTube TV had previously stated that if Disney’s channels remain off the platform for an extended period, customers will receive a $20 monthly credit. That's all fine and good, but if you're looking to watch tonight's game or your favorite shows — including Abbott Elementary, Grey's Anatomy and Dancing with the Stars, or Wednesday's NBA games — you'll need to seek out alternative viewing methods. And unfortunately for YouTube TV's negotiating position, there are plenty of options.
One of the cheapest ways to watch ESPN is with a Sling Day Pass — for just $5/day, you can tune into any and all ESPN programming, including Monday Night Football, with no other commitments. If you want a full switch from YouTube TV, there's Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV, or Fubo, where you can watch all the Disney-owned channels. (Remember, unlike a lot of cable plans, you can easily pause or cancel YouTube TV or any of these alternatives, so long as you have month-to-month subscriptions.) If you're looking for a workaround to watch ESPN, the Disney Channel, ABC and more, here's are the best options so you won't miss a moment of sports, news, or entertainment, all pulled from our list of best live TV streaming services to cut cable.
Grab an ESPN bundle so you won't miss the NFL, NBA or any other games
Get Hulu + Live TV at a great price
Try Fubo free for a week and get $30 your first month
Try DirecTV free for 5 days, and get $30 off your first month
What about Sling "day passes"?
You may have heard that Sling offers day, weekend and week passes to its streaming programming for as little as $5 per day. That is an option if you're looking for just some of the ESPN channels (the Sling Orange tier), but ABC isn't included. (If you're just looking to catch one of this week's big games, like Monday Night Football on ESPN, it's a great short-term solution.) If you want a longer-term solution, you can get both ESPN and ABC with Sling's Orange and Blue package ($30 a month to start, $61 thereafter), but you'll need to add on the Sports Extra package for ESPNU, which requires an additional charge.
Get your local Disney/ABC programming for free
Need your local ABC programming? Your station may have its own free local streaming news channel (many do), you can see if The Roku Channel carries your local station's news, or download your local news station app if it's a Nexstar channel.
The other alternative — if you're within the broadcast radius of a local ABC affiliate — is to get an over-the-air antenna. You can plug in your ZIP code at antennaweb.org to see what channels are in your area. This off-brand unit has worked very well in our initial testing — it's under $30, and the channels are truly free.
What games are on ESPN/ABC this week?
If you're wondering what games you might miss as a result of the YouTubeTV/Disney blackout, here's a list of some upcoming sports you may not want to miss:
Monday, Nov. 3
Monday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
Wednesday, Nov. 5
NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Update Nov. 3 2025, 6:36PM ET: This story has been updated to include YouTube TV's latest response to Disney's request to restore its channels for just 24 hours.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/youtube-tv-blackout-with-disney-how-to-watch-espn-abc-and-more-as-a-youtube-tv-subscriber-173330635.html?src=rss