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Imago

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Imago

More than 10 million NFL fans found themselves in the dark last week (literally) after missing out on Monday Night Football between the Cowboys and Cardinals. The reason? YouTube TV and Disney couldn’t strike a deal, and the blackout has left subscribers wondering if this week will be any different.

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For the past week, YouTube TV’s users have been without access to ESPN, ABC, and several other Disney-owned networks. It’s turned into one of the biggest TV blackouts in the last decade, with negotiations bogged down over, what else, money.

Disney wants a higher per-subscriber rate, pointing to the value of ESPN’s live sports lineup. YouTube TV, owned by Alphabet, is digging in on the other side, trying to hold the line on pricing. The dispute began back on October 30, and so far, neither side seems willing to blink.

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It’s an especially tricky spot for YouTube TV, which has built much of its identity around the NFL. The company pays roughly $2 billion a year for Sunday Ticket, giving its subscribers access to every out-of-market game. That deal helped turn YouTube TV into one of the most football-centric streaming platforms out there.

Other media companies have taken their shots, too. Since August, Fox, NBCUniversal, and TelevisaUnivision have all accused YouTube TV of using its market power to squeeze them on pricing. YouTube hasn’t exactly sat quietly in response. This week, it accused Disney of “resorting to their old tactics.”

While the corporate feud continues, the bottom line is that a resolution does not appear imminent. And caught in the middle, as always, are the fans, who just want to watch their team play. YouTube TV says it’ll credit subscribers $20 if the blackout continues, but that doesn’t mean much when Monday Night Football is gone from your lineup.

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For now, the only workaround for those desperate to see the games is to sign up for ESPN’s standalone streaming service, which costs $29.99 a month. They have an alternative.

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MNF to be simulcast on ABC

According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Google and Disney were still at the negotiating table as of Saturday, November 8, trying to work out a deal to end the blackout. If they can’t, YouTube TV has promised to refund subscribers $20. If an agreement isn’t reached, fans have the alternative to tune in on ESPN and ABC.

The good news for fans is that ESPN’s Week 10 and Week 11 MNF matchups, Packers vs. Eagles and Cowboys vs. Raiders, will also air on ABC, just like last week’s broadcast. That means even with the ESPN blackout, fans can still catch the games over the air.

So, for now, the smartest play might be the simplest one: take that $20 refund and use it to buy a basic antenna. It’s a bit of a throwback, watching football on network TV the old-fashioned way, but it works. It sure beats paying $29.99 a month for ESPN’s standalone streaming service just to watch a couple of games.

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Still, you can’t help but feel for the fans caught in the middle of all this. Most of them signed up for YouTube TV back in the summer, thinking they’d be covered for the full season. Now they’re scrambling for alternatives. It’s unfair, and they deserve more than a mere $20 return.

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