Don’t get spooked, but viewers of ABC Television Network stations who rely on YouTube TV to deliver the local broadcast station aligned with the Disney-owned offering could suffer a “blackout” come Halloween, as a retransmission consent impasse appears likely.
That became known thanks to WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio, a Gray Local Media property that is an ABC affiliate caught up in the complex negotiation of virtual MVPD rights that has seen networks handle the discussions — leaving companies such as Gray Media out in the cold. In a statement, WTVG said the station, branded as “13abc” is “caught in the middle of this dispute and encourages both sides to reach an agreement quickly.”
ABC News aired its own story Friday on “Good Morning America” regarding “a standoff” that could effect how viewers watch their local ABC station. The report confirmed that network parent The Walt Disney Co. and Google-owned YouTube TV are at an impasse. The current agreement is set to expire Thursday at Midnight, and the two minute and 22-second report largely served as a promotional rallying cry for viewers to stick up for ABC, which seeks fair compensation from the vMVPD for the right for it to distribute ABC owned and affiliated stations.
Some 10 million subscribers rely on YouTube TV to provide local channels, making it the dominant vMVPD largely thanks to its NFL Sunday Ticket offering, snagged from DirecTV last year.
ABC’s spat with YouTube TV follows similarly difficult negotiations between the Google-owned service and FOX in August, and with NBCUniversal in September. TelevisaUnivision stations have been inaccessible to YouTube TV viewers since September 30.
As YouTube sees it, “We’ve been working in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content on YouTube TV.”
Whether or not Disney agrees may take six days — or longer. “We invest significantly in our content, and expect our partners to pay fair rates that recognize that value. If we don’t reach a fair deal soon, YouTube TV customers will lose access to ESPN and ABC.”
