Millions of viewers across the US are about to lose their ability to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live once again.
As of October 31, ABC, ESPN, and other major Disney networks went dark on YouTube TV as a result of a carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube. This means that the roughly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers who rely on the service to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live and other ABC programming will be unable to stream new episodes of their favorite ABC shows until a new deal is struck.
“Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC. With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible,” Disney said in a statement to Deadline.
Deadline also acquired a statement from YouTube, who pointed blame back at Disney.
“Last week, Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers. They’re now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV. This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo. We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV.”
This means that for the second time this year, Jimmy Kimmel Live will be unavailable to stream for viewers, though this time around it is MUCH different than the first time around.
Earlier this year, ABC made headlines when it pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live from its lineup after Kimmel faced backlash for comments made in his Sept. 16 monologue regarding the death of Charlie Kirk. The show would return a few short days later after the decision was reversed, though it took longer for the show to return in some areas than others due to delayed returns by certain affiliates.
While we can hope that this will be another short break for Jimmy Kimmel Live to be unavailable for a major platform, there’s no telling with carriage disagreements. The one good thing for YouTube TV subscribers is that YouTube is prepared to offer a $20 credit toward users’ bills if ABC and Disney’s other networks remain blacked out “for an extended period of time.”
In the meantime, fans can watch episodes on other streaming platforms where live TV options are available and catch highlights from Jimmy Kimmel Live on the show’s YouTube channel and social media platforms.
