Disney vs. Google: Lon.TV Shows How the Carriage Dispute Just Got Worse

In this video, Lon Seidman, from the YouTube channel Lon.TV, breaks down the escalating carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Disney, explaining how the conflict has expanded from blacking out live channels to impacting digital movie purchases and ownership.

[YouTube]

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Video Summary

The contract dispute between YouTube TV and Disney (owner of ABC, ESPN, and more) expired on October 30, 2025, leading to the immediate removal of over 20 channels from the vMVPD. Lon Seidman explains that the impact goes beyond the loss of live TV, as users also lost access to their recorded shows on YouTube TV's DVR. The situation worsened when Disney pulled all its movies from Google TV and YouTube for purchase or rental, and Google retaliated by pulling its platforms out of Movies Anywhere. This move is a blow to consumer-friendly services, as it threatens the ability of users to sync new Disney movie purchases across different platforms like Apple TV and Prime Video.

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The Unending Cycle of Carriage Disputes

It is profoundly frustrating that after cutting the cord to escape the inflexibility and spiraling costs of cable TV, we are still subjected to the exact same brand of corporate hostage-taking. Four years ago, I wrote about the last time Disney and Google had a major fight that resulted in a blackout. Now, the new world of vMVPDs is repeating the cycle, with customers being used as leverage in negotiations.

The problem is the refusal of content owners to abandon their broken economic model, which relies on ever-increasing subscription fees. The history of this industry is a constant loop of content owners demanding more money and distributors pushing back, with the result always being a blackout, an eventual price increase for consumers, or both. This Lon.TV video is a crucial reminder that these disputes are now escalating beyond live channel blackouts--they are starting to threaten the value of digital movie purchases and consumer-friendly services like Movies Anywhere.

The discussion in this video about broadcasters pushing to encrypt the new ATSC 3.0 standard for live TV is especially concerning, as it could eliminate the ability for over-the-air viewers to use whole-home viewing and DVR devices entirely. The FCC is currently seeking comments on the use of Digital Rights Management (DRM) in broadcast signals. This relentless pursuit of control and revenue, rather than focusing on quality and consumer value, is exactly what drove millions of us to cut the cord in the first place, and it will continue until the fundamental economic model is broken.

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For those impacted by this ongoing dispute, whether by the blackout of ESPN and ABC for live sports or the uncertainty over digital movie libraries, this video provides excellent context. Even for those not affected, it's a critical discussion on the future of streaming economics and ownership, urging us all to reconsider the value of physical media in a volatile digital landscape. My Streaming Life is dedicated to helping people save money by streaming TV, which is why I view these constant corporate battles with extreme skepticism.