It doesn’t look like Disney-owned channels including ABC and ESPN will be returning to YouTube TV anytime soon. The Walt Disney Co. pulled its channels from YouTube TV as of midnight on Oct. 30 after the two companies failed to reach new terms on their latest carriage agreement. While big sporting events are often where the rubber meets the road on these channel blackouts, YouTube TV subscribers were unable to see any college football games on ABC or ESPN all weekend, and it looks like anyone hoping to watch tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys will suffer the same fate: YouTube TV management has officially rebuffed Disney’s request for a 24-hour restoration of its channels in a blog post — ostensibly to offer coverage of Tuesday’s elections — proposing instead that Disney reactivate the feeds for ABC and ESPN while negotiations continue.
YouTube TV had previously stated that if Disney’s channels remain off the platform for an extended period, customers will receive a $20 monthly credit. That’s all fine and good, but if you’re looking to watch tonight’s game or your favorite shows — including Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy and Dancing with the Stars, or Wednesday’s NBA games — you’ll need to seek out alternative viewing methods. And unfortunately for YouTube TV’s negotiating position, there are plenty of options.
One of the cheapest ways to watch ESPN is with a Sling Day Pass — for just $5/day, you can tune into any and all ESPN programming, including Monday Night Football, with no other commitments. If you want a full switch from YouTube TV, there’s Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV, or Fubo, where you can watch all the Disney-owned channels. (Remember, unlike a lot of cable plans, you can easily pause or cancel YouTube TV or any of these alternatives, so long as you have month-to-month subscriptions.) If you’re looking for a workaround to watch ESPN, the Disney Channel, ABC and more, here’s are the best options so you won’t miss a moment of sports, news, or entertainment, all pulled from our list of best live TV streaming services to cut cable.
Grab an ESPN bundle so you won’t miss the NFL, NBA or any other games
For $29.99, the ESPN unlimited package includes access to all of ESPN’s linear networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes, plus access to programming on ABC, ESPN+ content, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. That means fans will get coverage of more than 47,000 live events each year, on-demand replays, original programming and more so you won’t miss a single Monday Night Football game or any weekend college football game on ABC or ESPN’s suite of channels. Plus, you can watch your favorite ABC shows the day after they air.
Right now, for a limited time, you can bundle ESPN unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu and pay $29.99/month for 12 months — that’s like getting those other services free for a year. Even if you’re a current subscriber to Disney+, Hulu or even the bundle, you can still upgrade to this great deal.
$29.99/month at ESPN
Get Hulu + Live TV at a great price
Hulu’s live TV tier includes access to live TV channels like ESPN, ABC, NBC, Fox, and access to Disney+ and ESPN select. For a limited time, you can get a hefty discount on the service for 3 months. New and eligible returning subscribers (those who have not been Hulu subscribers in the past month) can sign up for Hulu + Live TV (with ads) for $64.99/month for their first three months. This is an especially great value considering that Hulu and Disney+ increased their prices on Oct. 21.
You’ll also enjoy access to unlimited DVR storage, the ability to stream on multiple devices and more. This special rate ends at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on Nov. 5.
After the three-month trial period, your subscription will continue at the regular market rate of $89.99, but if you’re looking for an alternative to YouTube TV, now’s the perfect time to take advantage of this deal. (If the YouTube situation is resolved before the weekend is up, you can also just sign up for a 3-day trial of Hulu + Live TV).
$64.99/month at Hulu
Try Fubo free for a week and get $30 your first month
If you’re looking for a stopgap so you won’t miss any major games or shows this weekend, Fubo is offering a free 7-day trial so you can check out everything the platform has to offer, risk-free, and on top of that, you can get $30 off your first month.
Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NFL Network, and 100+ more live channels. At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment but it’s one of the most comprehensive ways to watch live TV including the new NCAA season, the NFL, MLB and more, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage.
Try it free, then get $30 off at Fubo
Try DirecTV free for 5 days, and get $30 off your first month
DirecTV offers loads of great live channels, which means you can watch thousands of live sporting events, live TV and more with a regular subscription. And right now, for a limited time, you can get a $20 bill credit off your first month when you sign up, plus at least $10 more off per month for your first 24 months with a DirecTV Choice, Ultimate or Premier package — that’s over $250 in savings. You can find information on every package here.
Right now you can also get a free 5-day trial to test out the platform.
$30 off your first month at DirecTV
What about Sling “day passes”?
You may have heard that Sling offers day, weekend and week passes to its streaming programming for as little as $5 per day. That is an option if you’re looking for just some of the ESPN channels (the Sling Orange tier), but ABC isn’t included. (If you’re just looking to catch one of this week’s big games, like Monday Night Football on ESPN, it’s a great short-term solution.) If you want a longer-term solution, you can get both ESPN and ABC with Sling’s Orange and Blue package ($30 a month to start, $61 thereafter), but you’ll need to add on the Sports Extra package for ESPNU, which requires an additional charge.
Get your local Disney/ABC programming for free
Need your local ABC programming? Your station may have its own free local streaming news channel (many do), you can see if The Roku Channel carries your local station’s news, or download your local news station app if it’s a Nexstar channel.
The other alternative — if you’re within the broadcast radius of a local ABC affiliate — is to get an over-the-air antenna. You can plug in your ZIP code at antennaweb.org to see what channels are in your area. This off-brand unit has worked very well in our initial testing — it’s under $30, and the channels are truly free.
What games are on ESPN/ABC this week?
If you’re wondering what games you might miss as a result of the YouTubeTV/Disney blackout, here’s a list of some upcoming sports you may not want to miss:
Monday, Nov. 3
Monday Night Football: Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
Wednesday, Nov. 5
NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Update Nov. 3 2025, 6:36PM ET: This story has been updated to include YouTube TV’s latest response to Disney’s request to restore its channels for just 24 hours.
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