YouTube and Disney have reached a deal that will restore Disney’s networks to YouTube TV, ending a blackout that persisted for about two weeks.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, YouTube wrote:
We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers. Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN, and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.
While the loss of YouTube TV’s 10 million subscribers had cost Disney an estimated $4 million per day, Disney brass had said in an earnings call that they were prepared for a long, drawn-out battle.
In the end, the blackout lasted just long enough to test nerves before business interests won out.