The dust has mostly settled on the YouTube TV deal with Disney, with channels having returned to subscribers and other impacts, such as Movies Anywhere, are also returning to normal. But details continue to come out, and it seems like YouTube TV ended up conceding on some big parts of the Disney deal, namely the price.
A CNBC newsletter from reporter Alexander Sherman reveals a few remaining tidbits from the YouTube TV – Disney deal, and there are a couple of telling points here.
Firstly, YouTube TV was reportedly looking to tailor this new deal around the idea that, inevitably, it will become the largest distributor in the US in the near future. Prior reporting had suggested Google was looking for a 1-year deal with that in mind, but apparently there was also talking of a “sliding scale” where the price paid for Disney channels on YouTube TV would change “in case it becomes the largest distributor over the course of the multiyear agreement.”
That didn’t happen, Sherman says. Instead, YouTube TV will pay “standard rates based on its current size.”
Beyond that, Disney also managed to slip in a per-subscriber fee for content from ESPN Unlimited that makes its way to YouTube TV. It’s unclear what that fee is, whether it ends up costing YouTube TV more than the prior deal, or if that cost will be passed along to customers, but it’s certainly notable.
The report also notes that Disney may have avoided an “awkward situation” given the timing of the YouTube deal, as NBC’s deal with Fubo – which Disney is now the majority owner of – is about to expire. Had the YouTube battle raged on, Disney would have been working on deals from both sides.
More on YouTube TV:
- YouTube TV’s ‘lower-cost sports bundle’ possibly coming next year, MLB.TV excluded
- YouTube TV offers select users $60 off their first month to return following Disney feud
- YouTube TV sends out $20 credit for lost Disney content: How to redeem
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