Disney, Alphabet Reach Deal For ABC, ESPN To Return To YouTube TV

Alphabet and Disney have reached a deal to restore ABC and ESPN content on Google's YouTube TV streaming service, the two companies announced on Friday (November 14).

The deal concluded a two-week standoff between the two major companies that began on October 31, with YouTube TV customers unable to access Disney content, including two Monday Night Football and SEC football games broadcast on ESPN networks during that span.

“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,” YouTube said in a statement obtained by CNBC. “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.”

Disney co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden also issued a statement alongside ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.

“We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football,” they said via CNBC.

More than 20 Disney-owned channels were removed from YouTube TV amid the two-week stalemate, most notably ESPN, which coincided with its own recently revamped streaming service.