The Town with Matthew Belloni YouTube vs. Disney: Who Needs Whom More?
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Nov 10, 2025 
Lucas Shaw, a Bloomberg reporter and media journalist, joins to delve into the intriguing standoff between YouTube and Disney. They discuss how this dispute differs from past issues, focusing on Google’s leverage over cable operators. Lucas explains the critical role of live sports, particularly ESPN, in negotiations. They consider if Disney might prolong the fight to boost subscriptions for its apps and analyze Warner Bros. Discovery's earnings amid sale speculation, highlighting strategic dynamics in media today.
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Power Shift When Tech Owns Distribution
- YouTube's ownership by Google shifts carriage dispute dynamics because YouTube TV matters far less to Google's overall revenue.
- That gives YouTube leverage since losing a $2B distributor deal hurts Disney more than Google financially.
Streaming Alternatives Don't Make Blackouts Easy
- Disney has incentives to push viewers to the standalone ESPN app and its other streaming options during a blackout.
- But walking away from a ~$2 billion relationship would be a risky, expensive strategy for Disney.
Public Sympathy Leans Toward YouTube TV
- Public sentiment now favors YouTube TV more than traditional cable distributors, altering blame in blackouts.
- That makes it harder for Disney to rally consumer anger against YouTube.