The Halloween jump scares are officially here as the whole nation woke up to crushing news from ESPN and YouTube TV. Louisville football fans went to bed excited for Halloween and woke up to breaking news that Disney-owned channels are no longer on YouTube TV.
For those who are unfamiliar, Disney owns ABC, ESPN, the ACC Network, and several other entities. And so, with the ACC partnering with ESPN, Louisville fans who have YouTube TV are safe this weekend, as the game is on The CW Network. However, they are worried for the rest of the season, as the Cardinals are usually on ESPN or the ACC Network.
Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to reach a fair deal, and starting today, Disney programming will not be available on YouTube TV. This means you will no longer be able to watch channels like ABC and ESPN or access recordings from these networks in your Library.
— YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) October 31, 2025
Louisville football breathing sigh of relief as the Cardinals are on CW Network
The deal officially expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 30. Every Louisville football fan and college football fan, for that matter, is outraged. There is no secret that the vast majority of the nation has YouTube TV, and now, as college football enters the month of November, arguably the best month of the season, the fans are the ones being penalized for this inconvenience.
The Cards are ranked No. 16 in the nation and are making a late push to be a CFP contender. Louisville is 6-1 on the season and 3-1 in ACC play, and has the third-best odds of winning the ACC, behind only Georgia Tech and Miami. The month of November is when the season really begins to amp up on the Cards schedule as they face Clemson on Nov. 15, SMU on Nov. 22, and Kentucky on No. 29. All these games are most likley going to be on a Disney owned chanel whether it is going to be ESPN, ESPN 2, or ACCN, leaving Louisville football fans a bit anxious at the moment.
Many thought a deal would be made between the two businesses, but out of caution, ESPN networks released ads throughout the week warning fans that there might be a possibility that YouTube TV owners would be unable to watch Disney-owned channels this weekend. Many assumed someone would cave and not punish the fans, allowing them to miss out on the sporting events, but unfortunately, the fans got the short end of the stick and are now scrambling to watch their teams.
“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,” Disney stated in a statement. “Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming which includes the best lineup in live sports – anchored by the NFL, NBA, and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams playing this weekend.
The timetable for whether the two will make a deal is unknown, so Louisville football fans are taking a deep breath this weekend. However, with the heart of their schedule coming up, they are growing anxious about whether they will be able to watch it or not. For those who already have YouTube TV and want to watch ESPN and more this weekend, click here to get a free FuboTV trial.