The news: Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC, have officially been removed from leading pay TV platform YouTube TV after Disney and Google failed to resolve a distribution dispute.

• The companies are pointing the finger at each other: Disney accused Google of negotiating in bad faith and “[using] their power and extraordinary resources to eliminate competition.”
• Meanwhile, Google said Disney was being “unnecessarily aggressive and assertive” during carriage talks, citing an “antiquated view” of the pay TV market.
• YouTube TV is offering subscribers up to $60 in credits over the next 6 months amid the dispute.

The trend: YouTube TV has been involved in similar carriage disputes lately—it recently lost access to Univision channels, while simultaneously striking a precarious deal with NBCUniversal to avoid the same fate.

A major blow: But none of YouTube TV’s disputes have carried the same weight as losing Disney, which offers a breadth of live sports entertainment that has helped YouTube TV sustain subscription numbers. Sports are a hot property for audiences and advertisers alike and are now a must-have for any digital streaming platform looking to achieve growth.

• Subscribers have now lost access to a large portion of college football games, along with a live sports slate that includes NFL and NBA games. While some leagues will air through other providers on YouTube TV, subscribers have lost access to popular content like Monday Night Football.