What happened
On October 31, 2025, YouTube TV lost the rights to carry Disney-owned channels after licensing talks broke down. As a result, subscribers saw ESPN, ABC and other Disney networks go dark just as a busy sports weekend — including ranked college football games and Monday Night Football — was under way.
Which channels are affected
The blackout covers multiple Disney properties: ABC, the ESPN family of networks, Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and National Geographic channels.
How this affects sports viewers
With college football, the NBA, college basketball and NFL matchups scheduled in the coming days, losing access to ESPN can mean missing live games, studio shows and event coverage unless you use an alternate provider.
Ways to keep watching ESPN
– Switch or sign up with a different TV provider that still carries Disney channels. Options include Cox, Dish, DIRECTV, Verizon Fios, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Mediacom, Optimum, Sling, Spectrum and Xfinity. These services offer live access to ESPN and related networks as part of their channel lineups.
– Use an ESPN-enabled app or website if you have valid credentials from a provider that carries ESPN. Many pay-TV and streaming services let you log in to the ESPN app for live streams and on-demand content.
– If you only need ABC network programming, consider receiving your local ABC affiliate over the air with an antenna (where available).
Where to get updates and help
For the latest information on carriage and alternative access options, visit KeepMyNetworks.com. You can also check the ESPN help center at https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us for troubleshooting, account questions and updates on provider availability.
Bottom line
If YouTube TV no longer carries Disney channels in your market, you can still watch ESPN by switching to or signing in through another provider that has an active agreement with Disney, using the ESPN app with provider credentials, or using OTA reception for ABC where applicable. Check KeepMyNetworks.com and ESPN support for the most current details.
