YouTube TV is issuing a $20 credit to subscribers after losing access to ESPN, Disney

It has been ten days since Disney, ESPN pulled their channels from YouTube TV. And Google has started issuing a $20 credit to subscribers to compensate them.

In case you missed it, YouTube's contract with Disney to broadcast its channels on YouTube TV expired on October 30th, 2025. Negotiations to renew the agreement have failed, and both companies have publicly blamed each other for the fiasco.

Google says the blackout affects the following YouTube TV channels:

• ABC
• ABC News Live
• ACC Network
• Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
• Disney Channel
• Disney Junior
• Disney XD
• ESPN
• ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
• ESPN2
• ESPNews
• ESPNU
• Freeform
• FX
• FXM
• FXX
• Localish
• Nat Geo
• Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
• Nat Geo Wild
• SEC Network

The 4K Plus and Spanish Plus add-ons are impacted by the blackout. Around 10 million YouTube TV subscribers have been unable to watch the NFL, NBA, College Football, etc. If you want access to these sporting events, you will need to subscribe to ESPN's service directly.

Google had said that it was in talks with Disney to bring its content back to YouTube TV, and that it would issue a $20 credit to subscribers if this blackout continued. That's what's happening now. According to users at reddit/YouTubeTV, Google is sending out an email to YouTube TV subscribers with instructions on how to claim this credit.

Note: Please be aware that this a one-time $20 credit towards your next bill, it's not a $20 refund. They don't want to lose subscribers.

Why isn't the partial credit automated? These subscriptions are renewed monthly, via recurring payments. Many people may not know about this, and could easily miss the $20 credits. I'm not sure if there is some legal reason for this not to have been automated.

They kind of did, but not for everyone. YouTube TV subscribers who are billed through Google Play or another provider will get the $20 credit automatically. However, users who pay for YouTube TV directly will need to redeem their credit manually by visiting tv.youtube.com. Click on your profile picture, go to Settings, select Updates, and then select Claim Credit. The $20 credit will be applied to your next bill.

(Image courtesy: Google)

Please refer to the official support page on Google's website for further details.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post YouTube TV is issuing a $20 credit to subscribers after losing access to ESPN, Disney appeared first on gHacks Technology News.