Here’s Why Streaming Services are Always Duking it out Over Channels

Late Friday night, more than a dozen Disney-owned channels, including ESPN and FX, disappeared from YouTube TV when the two companies failed to reach a deal to keep them on the streaming service. The dispute didn’t last long. Just 36-or-so hours later, the companies came to an agreement — soon enough to avoid anyone missing ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

It was an outcome Disney could pretty much bank on. “Great content always wins and has great leverage,” Keith Zubchevich, CEO of streaming data company Conviva, tells The Verge. “Audiences want the best content, regardless of where they pay for it or watch it. It’s up to aggregators and big platforms to make sure they get the deal done, especially in streaming where consumer choice is even greater.”