New Disney Controversy Emerges After ESPN-YouTube TV Dispute

By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Just over one week after Disney and Google ended a high‑profile carriage fight, Disney’s new role as majority owner of Fubo has placed the company firmly back in the spotlight.

Disney completed its acquisition of Fubo (including the Hulu + Live TV business integration) on October 29, a deal that gives the combined unit nearly 6 million North American subscribers.

The agreement involved a $220 million payment plus a $145 million loan commitment, according to Front Office Sports.

On Friday, however, NBCUniversal channels were removed from Fubo after the parties failed to reach terms; Fubo called NBCU’s pricing "egregiously above" what other distributors pay, while NBCU said it offered the same terms as to hundreds of other distributors.

The blackout removes NBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Golf Channel, Telemundo, local NBC affiliates, and NBC Sports feeds.

This means Fubo viewers lose access to marquee live sports, notably the NFL's Sunday Night Football, NBA windows, college football, and many Premier League fixtures, unless they also subscribe to Peacock or another distributor carrying NBCU rights.

Fubo has promised a $15 credit if the blackout persists “for an extended period."

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Fubo has a track record of hardline negotiations: it dropped Warner Bros. Discovery networks in April 2024 and has repeatedly positioned itself as a lower‑cost, sports‑first alternative — a stance that has led to repeated carriage standoffs and subscriber churn risks.

The recent Disney-YouTube TV impasse, which lasted about two weeks before a multi‑year deal restored ESPN/ABC/FX to roughly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers, shows how quickly national sports access can be disrupted and then resolved under pressure.

The blackout between Fubo and NBCUniversal is smaller in scale than the YouTube TV dispute — Fubo’s North American base is around 1.63 million subscribers versus YouTube TV’s estimated 10+ million — but it's still a worrisome development for sports fans.

In the weeks ahead, expect intense negotiations, temporary refunds or credits for customers, and increased oversight from regulators and advertisers.

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