The Green Bay Packers will be looking to bounce back from a 16-13 loss to Carolina with another home game Nov. 10, a “Monday Night Football” clash against the Philadelphia Eagles.
For subscribers of YouTube TV, that’s a bit more challenging to watch than usual.
Disney pulled its channels off the service as part of a carriage dispute, and that includes ABC and ESPN — the networks that carry “Monday Night Football.”
The channels disappeared from YouTube TV beginning Oct. 30 and, though disputes of this nature can get resolved quickly, the channels are still dark as of the morning of Nov. 10.
All is not lost for Packers fans who get the service, but unless Disney and Google — which owns YouTube TV — have a surprise waiting Monday, catching the Packers-Eagles game might require a little more work.
Can you watch the Packers-Eagles game with an antenna?
Yes, if you still have a digital antenna lying around, you can access ABC “over the air.” The Packers and Eagles are one of a select number of “Monday Night Football” games that air on ESPN as well as ABC, giving you that option. The Week 11 game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders will likewise simulcast on ABC. The Panthers-San Francisco 49ers tilt in Week 12, however? That airs just on ESPN.
A basic indoor antenna can be purchased for less than $30 at an electronics retailer.
What are the other options to see ESPN or ABC?
You can still watch via other options that carry ESPN or ABC:
- Fubo: Carries ESPN and ABC, and offers a free trial for new subscribers.
- Sling TV (Orange plan): Includes ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3; ABC is available in select markets.
- ESPN app: Stream with a valid cable or streaming login (but not YouTube TV).
- ESPN Unlimited: Disney’s new direct-to-consumer platform ($29.99/month) includes live ESPN and ABC sports content.
- If you subscribe to a local cable package, you’ll still have access as usual through those means.
Will the Disney/YouTube TV dispute be resolved soon?
It’s anyone’s guess, but a resolution doesn’t sound imminent. Disney even rejected a proposal to have service restored temporarily Nov. 4 for election-night coverage. In 2023, when the Disney channels were pulled from Charter Communications carriers (including Spectrum in Milwaukee), the outage lasted 10 days. We’re past that mark now with his dispute.
Will YouTube TV subscribers get reimbursed for the missing channels?
YouTube TV is reportedly offering $20 credits toward customers’ next statements, and emails about how to redeem those credits should arrive no later than Nov. 12. That credit would require customer action and wouldn’t happen automatically.
What’s blacked out on YouTube TV?
Users have lost access to these channels during the carriage dispute:
- ABC: Local affiliates, prime-time shows and live sports
- ESPN suite: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes
- ACC Network, SEC Network
- FX, Freeform, National Geographic
- Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior
In Milwaukee, this includes ABC affiliate WISN, even though the channel is operated by Hearst Television.
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