YouTube TV is reportedly going to “be ready” to launch a new “lower-cost sports bundle” sometime next year following its new deal with Disney, but with MLB.TV missing from the picture.
In a recap of the deal between Disney and YouTube TV, an article from Puck adds a few tidbits we hadn’t heard before, revolving mostly around sports content.
Apparently, YouTube TV was pretty heavily pushing for ESPN Unlimited as a part of YouTube Primetime Channels (and, in turn, through YouTube TV), but Disney “repeatedly” refused. In the end, Disney ended up allowing YouTube TV subscribers to access most of that content, but with one notable exception being the MLB.TV content that ESPN recently “finalized” a deal on, the report says.
Disney’s hesitation was apparently around its other existing deals. Where traditional cable and satellite providers have similar access to this content, digital content providers such as Roku, Amazon, and Apple have never had access to Disney’s direct-to-consumer content.
As the article brings out, that’s just one way where YouTube TV made headway in this deal in “[creating] a blueprint for how consumers watch sports in this streaming era.”
The other interesting tidbit here is in regards to YouTube TV packages. As we noted on Monday, Disney disclosed that a “key element” of its deal with Google was the ability to include “select” channels in “genre-specific packages.” This article from Puck emphasizes that this is in the works, claiming that a “lower-cost sports bundle” could arrive by next year.
Critically, YouTube TV also negotiated the right to create genre-specific packages. By next year, YouTube TV will likely be able to offer a lower-cost sports bundle to its subscribers.
The phrasing here makes it sound like there’s still some work to do before a timeline is finalized, but the door is clearly open.
More on YouTube TV:
- YouTube TV offers select users $60 off their first month to return following Disney feud
- YouTube TV packages likely on the way, renewed Disney deal hints
- YouTube TV and Disney reach ‘multi-year’ deal with ESPN, ABC, more channels now live
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