"Watt's ire was caused by the ongoing carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV, which resulted in ESPN, and a bunch of other Disney networks, going dark on the Google-owned pay TV service on October 30th. The two companies are fighting over the money YouTube has to pay to carry Disney's networks, with both rejecting the other side's demands as unreasonable."
"Watt's Monday night meltdown is emblematic of the weird world of sports TV in 2025: There are more options than ever to watch matches online, including a growing number of free streams, and streams included with your existing video subscriptions. At the same time, sports streaming is increasingly fragmented. As a result, it's easier than ever to tune into sports if you're a casual viewer - but incredibly complex if you're a hardcore fan dead set on watching every single game of your favorite team"
JJ Watt publicly expressed frustration and threatened to stop watching Monday Night Football after ESPN and other Disney networks went dark on YouTube TV during a carriage dispute. The blackout affected roughly 10 million YouTube TV subscribers and left many unable to watch the game. Some fans tried trialing competing streaming services like Hulu Live or Fubo, but others refused to sign up for additional subscriptions. The situation highlights that sports viewing options have expanded with free and bundled streams, while overall access has become more fragmented and complicated for dedicated viewers.
Read at The Verge
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