Disney-YouTube TV Blackout Potentially Impacts Primetime Ratings
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A carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV is raising concerns about viewership numbers for key networks like ABC and ESPN. The blackout, which began on October 31, affects approximately 8 percent of U.S. television households, given YouTube TV’s roughly 10 million subscribers.
The dispute stems from a failure to reach a new distribution agreement, leaving ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels unavailable to YouTube TV customers. Initial data suggests the disruption may already be influencing primetime television ratings, though isolating the impact proves complex.
Initial Ratings Dip Following Blackout
Ratings for ABC’s primetime college football game on November 1 experienced a significant drop compared to the season’s average. However, analysts note the game aired concurrently with Game Seven of the World Series, likely contributing to lower viewership across multiple networks, including CBS and NBC. Despite this, emerging trends from November 2 and 3 indicate a potential correlation between the blackout and declining numbers for some of ABC’s flagship programs.
Monday Night Football averaged 16.37 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 – a notable decrease from the season average of 20.17 million for six other simulcasts. ABC’s portion of the broadcast drew approximately 9.84 million viewers, marking its second-lowest total of the season.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Shows First Viewership Decline
While Dancing With the Stars maintained its position as the most-watched primetime show on Tuesday, it experienced its first weekly decline in viewership after six consecutive weeks of growth – the longest such streak for a fall broadcast series in at least 34 years. The show garnered 6.33 million viewers, a 6 percent decrease from the previous week’s 6.74 million and a 10 percent drop among adults aged 18-49 (from a 1.36 rating to 1.22).
Disney officials have observed an increase in live streaming of Dancing With the Stars on Disney+ on Tuesday, suggesting some viewers impacted by the YouTube TV blackout may have migrated to the company’s streaming service to continue watching the program.
Interpreting the ratings data requires careful consideration. “There is some noise in that data, as there always is with TV ratings,” one analyst noted. The November 1 Monday Night Football game featured a less compelling matchup between teams with losing records – the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. Additionally, election night coverage on Tuesday likely diverted some viewers to cable news channels.
However, the Dallas Cowboys consistently attract a large audience regardless of their performance. Furthermore, CBS saw a slight week-over-week increase in viewership during the first two hours of primetime on Tuesday, while Fox remained relatively stable. Full viewership figures for NBC’s live NBA coverage were not immediately available.
The ongoing carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube TV underscores the evolving dynamics of television distribution and the potential impact of these negotiations on audience engagement. As the situation unfolds, continued monitoring of viewership trends will be crucial to understanding the full extent of the blackout’s influence.
