Minnesota sports fans may have been enjoying the Timberwolves victory over the Lakers on Friday night when the broadcast suddenly cut out.
For YouTube TV subscribers, a contract dispute with ESPN and Disney removed the channel from their lineup at 10:59 p.m. central time on Friday night. More importantly, it shut down the Timberwolves game during the third quarter and left many to voice their displeasure on social media.
That a lot of local fans missed, thanks to YouTube TV clearing all ESPN channels off their service, right at Midnight Eastern.
— Tom Osskopp (@tomosskopp) December 18, 2021
Finally get to watch the Timberwolves on TV and of course it's the night YouTube tv loses its agreement with Disney
— Chase (@chasehanson77) December 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/darthtjader/status/1472069245404168193
YouTube TV and Disney have been in a standoff over the price of their channels which also includes FX, Freeform, the Disney Channel and ABC.
While YouTube wants a clause that guarantees they pay the same amount for those channels as similar distributors of their size, it’s another frustrating chapter for Minnesota sports fans who just want to watch their team.
Sinclair went through a similar issue with multiple streaming and satellite services before eventually becoming Bally Sports North. With the channel only available on cable services and DirecTV Stream, fans have had a hard time catching the Timberwolves, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota United on television over the past two years.
The latest standoff puts Vikings fans in a bind as they will play the Chicago Bears on Monday night. While the game will be simulcast on KSTP, ESPN is the home for Monday Night Football which could leave fans out in the cold for future games.
YouTube TV has dropped the price of their monthly subscription from $64.99 to $49.99 in the wake of the dispute but that does nothing to help fans.
Instead, they’ll be heading to another service such as Hulu + Live TV ($69.99/mo.), Fubo TV ($64.99/mo.) or Sling ($35/mo.) before the next dispute.
