Millions of viewers opened YouTube TV this week for the Week 9 game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals, only to be greeted by a complete blackout by broadcasting channels. Due to the ongoing dispute between YouTube TV and Disney over fees, channels like ABC and ESPN were removed from the platform. Understandably, people were left appalled, and those like former NFL player JJ Watt didn’t hold back from sharing it.

“So we’re just not watching Monday Night Football huh? I’m not buying another streaming subscription…” he tweeted on November 4.

However, JJ Watt explained that he does have a subscription, one that allows him to watch Espanyol matches on ESPN+. But beyond that, the disruption continued into Week 10, when fans were unable to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Green Bay Packers.

Many responded to Watt’s post, echoing his frustration and sharing their own streaming woes. The blackout hasn’t been limited to the NFL either; ESPN’s “College GameDay” and several major college football matchups were also pulled from YouTube TV over the weekend, leaving fans without some of the week’s biggest broadcasts.

YouTube TV issued a $20 credit to subscribers after they missed a second weekend of college football and Monday Night Football. But JJ Watt made it clear he wasn’t interested in the refund, he just wanted to watch football. He reiterated that point again on The Pat McAfee Show, venting about QR codes, login prompts, and how baffling it was that his ESPN+ subscription let him watch Espanyol matches but not Monday Night Football. “It’s football. We need it,” he said. “I’m not entering my information on another frickin’ website… I did it once. I have no clue what subscription I have because I can only watch half the content.”

And if you’re looking for some respite in this situation, don’t. The dispute might have just gotten a little messier, if anything.

Disney CFO hints at ending dispute soon

However, Disney CFO Hugh F. Johnston offered a hopeful update on November 13, saying Disney was ready to move forward whenever YouTube TV was. His statement gave fans a reason to believe the dispute might soon be resolved.

“(We’re) ready to go as long as YouTube TV wants to,” Johnston said on November 13.

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YouTube TV hasn’t responded publicly to the latest positive developments, but it’s clear they don’t want to prolong the dispute, nor are they ready to back down. he core issue remains unchanged: Disney wants YouTube TV to pay what it considers the market rate for its networks, while YouTube TV argues that agreeing to that number would force them to raise subscription prices again.

Both sides are reportedly close to a deal, with one major hurdle remaining: disagreement over the carriage fees for Disney’s non-sports networks, including Freeform, FX, and National Geographic.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr urged both sides to settle, posting that people deserve the programming they paid for and calling on Google and Disney to end the blackout. Reports suggest that Disney’s upcoming earnings release may be adding pressure.

Top executives are now involved, with Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Disney CEO Bob Iger stepping in as negotiations progress.

Disney’s stock took a major hit on November 13, dropping nearly 8% and wiping out about $16 billion in market value. The YouTube TV dispute played a role, but it wasn’t the only factor. Disney also missed its earnings targets, and the broader market declined.

Together, these three pressures dragged the stock down and added more tension to a week already packed with fallout from the carriage dispute.

Disney leaders Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, and ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro are also involved in the negotiations. Justin Connolly, YouTube TV’s global head of media and sports, stepped away from the talks due to a conflict of interest, he left Disney for YouTube TV earlier this year.

Connolly was permitted to break his Disney contract on the condition that he remain uninvolved in discussions between the two companies.

There’s no deal yet, but both sides believe an agreement is within reach. If they finalize it, football could return to YouTube TV screens soon.