YouTube TV subscribers who have missed two weeks of programming like Monday Night Football and Dancing With the Stars, due to a failed renewal deal with Disney, will now receive a one-time $20 credit to help offset the disruption.
Since October 30, Disney-owned channels, including ABC, ESPN, FX, and National Geographic, have been unavailable on YouTube TV due to the dispute, leaving viewers without major entertainment and sports broadcasts.
On Sunday, with no agreement yet reached, YouTube TV began emailing subscribers instructions on how to apply a one-time $20 credit to their next bill.
To claim the credit, subscribers need to:
- Visit tv.youtube.com on a browser or mobile device
- Click on their profile, go to Settings, then select Updates
- Locate the “Disney Credit” notification and click “Claim credit.” After doing so, a message should appear confirming that the credit will be applied to the next bill
For those billed through providers like Google Play, the credit is applied automatically. The credit is a one-time offer, regardless of the blackout’s duration.
Users must have an active subscription to claim the credit.
The ongoing blackout is costly for both sides. Disney reportedly loses about $4.3 million daily, Deadline reports, while Variety says 24 percent of YouTube TV subscribers have canceled or plan to cancel over the disruption.
On October 30, YouTube TV accused Disney of using the blackout as a negotiating tactic to push for higher prices on subscribers.
"This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo," the statement read. "We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV."
Since its 2017 launch, YouTube TV’s monthly price has risen from $35 to $82.99 as of January 2025, with increases along the way in 2019 and 2023.
The return of Disney-owned channels to YouTube TV remains uncertain, as negotiations between the companies are still ongoing. If a deal is reached, YouTube TV says the channels could be restored “in a matter of hours.”
