YouTube TV will follow through on its promise to reimburse customers in the event of a Disney-related blackout beginning Sunday. The internet company previously pledged to issue $20 credits if customers lost access to Disney and related channels (including local ABC stations and ESPN) for “an extended period of time.”
YouTube will begin sending out the credits if no deal is in place to bring Disney and the brand’s related channels back to the service. All eligible customers will be issued credits by November 12.
YouTube TV subscribers have not been able to watch Disney’s channels since October 30. Should Disney agree to a proposed deal, the channels will be accessible “in a matter of hours.”
“We know that subscribers are frustrated with the disruption and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV as soon as possible,” YouTube said in a statement on Saturday.
The companies have been sparring over the price of the service. YouTube TV currently costs $82.99 per month. Google has claimed Disney is charging too high of a fee, and Disney has claimed Google is “refusing to pay fair rates for our channels.”
“Rather than compete on a level playing field, Google’s YouTube TV has approached these negotiations as if it were the only player in the game,” Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro insisted in a memo sent to staff Friday.
“It goes without saying that the reason so many consumers value our programming above others is because we invest in the best talent, creators and content in the world, and we cannot allow anyone to undercut our ability to do so,” the email also stated.
“We know how difficult this situation is for the YouTube TV customers we serve, and for all of you who provide the sports programming, entertainment, news and live events that our fans know and love,” the memo concluded. “Thank you for the incredible work you do each and every day and for staying focused on maintaining such a high bar throughout this difficult situation.”
