Google Blocks One‑Day Return of ABC to YouTube TV for Election Night Amid Disney Fee Dispute

Google refuses Disney's single-day request to restore ABC for Nov. 4 elections

LOS ANGELES — Google declined the Walt Disney Company's request to temporarily restore ABC to YouTube TV for election-night coverage on Nov. 4, saying a one-day reinstatement would risk "customer confusion" and pointing subscribers to other news options on YouTube and YouTube TV.

The move comes amid an ongoing carriage-fee dispute that led Disney to remove its channels — including ABC and ESPN — from YouTube TV on Oct. 30. The two companies remain in negotiations over fees for Disney's suite of channels.

Google: "In fact, on the last two U.S. election days, the vast majority of tuned-in YouTube TV subscribers chose not to watch ABC."

In a response published on YouTube's official blog on Nov. 3, Google rejected Disney's single-day proposal and said it was pointing customers toward alternative news sources available on its services. Google has characterized Disney's demands as "costly economic terms."

Disney told USA TODAY it asked YouTube TV to temporarily allow ABC to stream on the platform so customers would have "access to the information they rely on," framing the request as being in the public interest while fee negotiations continue. Disney also said it has made a fair proposal to restore its channels.

Google countered by urging Disney to allow a fuller return of ABC and ESPN channels while the companies negotiate fees for the broader portfolio. "Those are the channels that people want," Google wrote, presenting its stance as a customer-centered compromise.

Context and viewer impact

The dispute affects millions of subscribers ahead of off-year contests, including gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and the closely watched New York City mayoral election. USA TODAY said it will stream election coverage on its YouTube channel and deploy reporters across the country.

Channels removed from YouTube TV

Google provided a list of Disney-operated channels that were pulled from YouTube TV during the blackout. Per Google, the affected channels include:

• ABC
• ABC News Live
• ACC Network
• Disney Channel
• Disney Junior
• Disney XD
• ESPN
• ESPNews
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• Freeform
• FX
• FXM
• FXX
• Localish
• Nat Geo
• Nat Geo Wild
• SEC Network
• Spanish-language plan: ESPN Deportes, Baby TV Español, Nat Geo Mundo

Good Morning America — a brief timeline

As a point of context about ABC's news footprint, here are milestones from ABC's flagship morning show, Good Morning America (GMA):

• Nov. 3, 1975 — GMA premiered with co-anchors David Hartman and Nancy Dussault.
• 1980 — Joan Lunden joined as co-anchor with Hartman.
• 1987 — Charles Gibson became a host; Diane Sawyer later became co-host in 1999.
• 1995 & 2005 — Robin Roberts joined as a contributor in 1995 and was promoted to co-anchor in 2005.
• 2005 — GMA celebrated its 30th anniversary with a Times Square block party and concert.
• 2013 — Robin Roberts returned to the anchor desk after a medical leave related to a bone marrow transplant.
• 2016 — Michael Strahan joined the show; anchors later covered major events including the 2018 Oscars and the 2018 royal wedding in London.
• 2021–2025 — The program continued to feature live segments, special events and moved to new Hudson Square studios in New York City in June 2025.

This disagreement between Google and Disney highlights the growing tension between streaming platforms and content owners over carriage fees and packaging. For viewers, the dispute translates into lost access to familiar channels and uncertainty about where to find live news and sports coverage during important voting events.