Pat McAfee, the host of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” had reason to celebrate on Friday night with fans, ahead of his show’s appearance on Saturday. The popular television personality announced that, following a lengthy standoff between Disney and Google’s YouTube TV, the two sides had reached a deal to end the blackout that many customers had been facing.
“I come to you live from the shotgun seat of an SUV here in Pittsburgh, driving around my hometown, going to see some old spots, some old friends before ‘College GameDay’ tomorrow,” McAfee said from the dark interior of a vehicle, adding, “Huge news, ESPN and YouTube TV got a deal.”
“Hey-oh! Ball is back for the world! We need more ball, not less ball. This is a great thing, not a bad thing. We’ll see you tomorrow morning on ‘College GameDay’ live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” McAfee said.
On Friday evening, ESPN reported that Disney and YouTube TV had reached a deal that included restoring “Disney’s full suite of networks and stations” to customers, including ABC and ESPN.
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Disney content first disappeared from YouTube TV for customers on Oct. 30 after the two parties failed to reach a licensing deal. Multiple channels went dark for customers during the blackout. In addition to ESPN and ABC, some of the channels included NatGeo, FX, Freeform, SEC Network, and ACC Network, among others.
Per ESPN, YouTube TV previously accused Disney of using the blackout to force negotiations, after the company reportedly proposed higher prices for customers and would offer fewer options to subscribers. Disney claimed YouTube TV was refusing to pay fair rates for its channels, and that Google was “using its market dominance to eliminate competition” among other tactics.
However, after a lengthy standoff, a deal was finally reached, leading to great news for those wanting to get their fill of college football on Saturday, beginning with “College GameDay” in Pittsburgh. The popular show, featuring McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, and others, will be on the campus before a massive game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Per ESPN’s report, YouTube TV indicated they “reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers.” At the same time, Disney execs state the deal preserves their “continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch.”
“Congrats to all parties for the good of f***ing ball. We’re back. Thank you to heavens. This is good s***. Hell yeah,” McAfee said in his X video.
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