Sports fans are increasingly frustrated as they find themselves unable to watch certain games, and fingers are starting to be pointed. ESPN is coming under fire for its role in the Disney-YouTube contract dispute, with Barstool’s Dan “Big Cat” Katz slamming the company for its part in the drama. Meanwhile, Pat McAfee has called out his own employer over its messaging amid this standoff, which has prevented sports fans from accessing ESPN content on YouTube TV.
“ESPN is f-king everyone because ESPN’s got a new app… and they also own Hulu and Fubo,” Katz said Monday on “Pardon My Take.” “They’re screwing over everyone who has cut the cord and went to YouTube TV, and it’s just f-ked up. It’s f-ked up.”
He continued, “They’re just screwing over the consumer, the people who just want to watch sports. I just want to watch sports. That’s all I want to watch. The shows I watch are on Netflix or HBO. Let me just watch sports. I don’t watch any other TV besides sports. Give me all the sports in one place and let me pay for that, and stop with this bulls-t where everyone is trying to squeeze each other out for an extra dollar, screwing over the people who just want to watch sports.”
Fans like Katz are upset as the two streaming giants, Disney and YouTube, have failed to reach an agreement. This impasse led to major channels including ABC, FX, and ESPN being removed from YouTube TV. As a result, YouTube TV subscribers missed out on notable events like the Cardinals’ 27-17 victory over the Cowboys on “Monday Night Football,” among others.
Disney issued a statement criticizing YouTube TV, alleging that Google (which owns YouTube) refuses to pay “fair rates” for its channels. In response, YouTube TV claimed Disney is attempting to hike prices on its content and is using the blackout threat and execution as a bargaining tactic. According to Sports Business Journal, the two sides remain “far apart on price.”
Before the blackout, prominent ESPN personalities such as Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith, and Scott Van Pelt released videos on social media urging YouTube TV customers to visit keepmynetworks.com, seemingly to increase pressure on the streaming service.
However, Pat McAfee, known for speaking candidly, disapproved of this approach. “We’re all done with it,” McAfee said Tuesday on his self-titled show. “And also, if you’re on TV, stop telling people to go to a website to save a multi-billion-dollar deal. Nobody cares what you have to say. There will be nothing that we say or any website that will be visited that will get this thing there are, I don’t want to say the exact names, but these people (with hands held high), let’s put our swords down. Let’s put our swords down for the good of sports.”
He added, “We need each other. Need each other. A lot of people saying ‘greedy corporate,’ it’s like, yeah. We need each other, especially with where sports are right now. And we’re in the middle of it, so let’s get that done. Let’s get that done. And stop asking me to go to a website. I don’t want to do that, so stop. All you’re doing is pissing everybody off even more. So it’s like, let’s just not do that.”
How to Watch ESPN and ABC for Free Without YouTube TV
If you’re looking for alternatives, several other live TV streaming services offer excellent deals and carry the channels YouTube TV customers can no longer access.
DIRECTV offers a free 5-day trial that includes all the affected channels, with plans starting at just $49.99/month for the first month. This grants access to NFL, NBA, NHL, and college football across ESPN, ABC, and more, plus regional sports networks in most markets — all bundled into one convenient package.
With ongoing negotiations still unresolved, sports fans may want to explore these alternative streaming options to keep up with their favorite games and events.
