YouTube TV lost ESPN and other Discs

YouTube TV failed to reach a last-minute deal with Disney to keep more than a dozen Disney channels on the live TV service. As of December 18, popular networks including ESPN and ABC have been removed from the service. As promised, the subscription fee for YouTube TV has dropped to $50 a month, a direct result of the loss of shows.

Disney said in a statement late Friday that after ongoing negotiations with YouTube TV, "they refused to strike a fair deal with us under the terms and conditions of the market." The company added: "As a result, their users have lost access to our unrivalled network portfolio, including live sports and news from ABC, ESPN Network, Disney Channel, Freeform, FX Network and National Geographic Channel, as well as children's, family and general entertainment." We are prepared to reach a fair agreement with Google as soon as possible in order to minimize the inconvenience to YouTube TV viewers by restoring our network. We hope Google will join us in our efforts."

In a blog post, YouTube TV said it would "continue to talk to Disney and promote on your behalf in the hope of reviving their content on YouTube TV." "

"We've been in good faith negotiations with Disney for months," YouTube TV said. "Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we failed to reach a fair deal before our existing agreement expired and their channel is no longer available on YouTube TV."

The announcement comes after a notice shared with users earlier this week that the channels would disappear from YouTube TV on Friday, Dec. 17, if there is no agreement between the two companies. If the talks fail, YouTube TV said it would lower its price by $15 from its normal price of $65 a month to make up for the change.

Earlier this week, the issue of service loss seemed likely to be resolved positively. First, the service told users in an email on Monday that "Mickey Mouse House is an important partner for us," adding that it wants to negotiate a deal with Disney "on the premise that we can reach fair terms." But the two companies failed to reach an agreement because their current agreement lapsed after Dec. 17.

Losing a dozen channels doesn't exactly help YouTube TV maintain its edge against other internet cable services like Hulu with Live TV or Fubo TV. Not only are more than a dozen channels obliterated, but the list of Disney-owned properties that will be cut is also extensive, including not only Disney Channel, but also FX, ESPN and National Geographic Channel.

The full list of channels that went offline because there was no agreement includes the following:

Your local ABC channel

ABC News Live

Disney Channel

Disney Junior

Disney XD

Freeform

FX

FXX

FXM

National Geographic

National Geographic Wild

ESPN

ESPN2

ESPN3 (by authentication to the ESPN app)

ESPNU

ESPNEWS

SEC Network

ACC Network

Copyright disputes are a frustrating common phenomenon in the new streaming environment, and they tend to play out publicly before a decision is reached — as was the case with recently youTube TV and NBCUniversal-owned channels. Less commonly, the two sides fail to reach an agreement, and if consumers want to support their favorite shows, they have to look around for new suppliers, ultimately paying more.