• bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 days ago

    Except they’re not bound by legal carrying requirements for specific broadcast ABC stations and Disney no longer makes fictional content anyone wants to watch, which destroys all non-ESPN leverage Disney has with normal cable providers to force Freeform on a market that doesn’t want it, while Youtube itself has a direct NFL deal, which is like 60% of American sports consumption… Disney doesn’t appreciate that Youtube is in a stronger position than ANY cable provider and Disney has never been in a worse position to demand anything.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      with normal cable providers to force Freeform on a market that doesn’t want it,

      My guess is Freeform is a tiny tiny bit of money, likely a rounding error’s amount. I doubt that this is a war between Disney and Youtube to carry Freeform or not.

      • bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        2 days ago

        Per the article: ‘Disney appears to be pushing for YouTube TV to carry its full catalog, where YouTube TV appears to feel that certain networks may not be worth carrying with “non-existent” viewership.’ It’s literally about these no value added channels nobody watches like Freeform. In the old cable days, just having more channels was an asset for justifying cable plans costing $100, and they legally had to carry ABC, so ABC could go “C’mon, only $30mil for Localish is a steal! We’ll throw in ESPN Classic for only another $10mil if you say yes!” That dynamic is gone, so now Freeform IS in fact worth very little money, but Disney has not adjusted to the new reality with Youtube.