YouTube Says It’s in Talks to Keep Disney on Its Pay TV Service

(Bloomberg) -- YouTube is in talks to keep Walt Disney Co. programming such as ESPN on its YouTube TV platform, a cable-like service with 85-plus channels.

The current agreement between Disney and Google’s video service expires on Dec. 17, according to statement Monday by YouTube.

“We haven’t been able to reach an equitable agreement yet, so we wanted to give you an early heads up so that you can understand your choices,” YouTube said.

With networks like ESPN and the Disney Channel, Disney is an important player on multichannel services such as YouTube TV, as well as traditional pay-television services like those offered by Comcast Corp. But the company is also marketing its own paid online TV offerings, including Disney+.

YouTube, which is part of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, said if it’s unable to reach a new fee arrangement with Disney, it will reduce the monthly price of its services to $50 a month from $65.

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