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Iger & Goliath

The nearly week-old Disney–YouTube TV carriage dispute is arguably a microcosm of the broader challenges facing legacy mediacos as old-world distribution channels give way to streaming, and as social video eats the world.

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bob iger
This is the reality facing Bob Iger as he countenances a new chapter for his company: Carriage disputes are no longer battles between partners like DirecTV and Disney, which are equally reliant on each other for their businesses. Photo: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
Julia Alexander
November 4, 2025

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Like death and taxes, carriage disputes are a perennial fact of life in the TV business. I’m not going to attempt to predict when the battle between Disney and YouTube—which began October 30, when ESPN and ABC were pulled from YouTube TV—will end. After all, most contract fights are resolved quickly and then immediately forgotten. But in many ways, the power dynamics surrounding YouTube TV’s relationship with the channels it carries are unique. And, like the government shutdown, this could become more complicated than most observers expect.

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