Kevin C. Cox/Getty
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 08: Dijon Lee Jr. #5 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after breaking up a touchdown reception intended for Trey’Dez Green #14 of the LSU Tigers during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The wait is over for college football fans, as Disney and Google announced a new deal on Friday night that will restore all ESPN and Disney channels to YouTube TV, the top cable-esque streaming service for live TV. YouTube TV subscribers had been without access to these Disney-owned channels since October 30, just over two weeks. That included two college football Saturdays and two NFL Monday Night Football games, as well as the start of the college basketball season.
This deal crosses the finish line just before one of the biggest college football games of the season when No. 4 Alabama hosts the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners in a monumental late-season clash. Crimson Tide fans who subscribe to YouTube TV will now get to watch their team try and hold on to a top four spot in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
The YouTube TV/ESPN Deal Comes Just in Time for a Loaded College Football Saturday Slate
Kenneth Richmond/GettyAUSTIN, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 01: Quintrevion Wisner #5 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after a first down during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 01, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
In addition to the Alabama game, YouTube TV subscribers will now be able to enjoy the full complement of college football’s Week 12 slate. That kicks off on ESPN when South Carolina travels to No. 3 Texas A&M while No. 9 Notre Dame takes on No. 22 Pittsburgh on ABC.
Throughout the day, fans can now enjoy games such as No. 24 South Florida vs. Navy, Arkansas vs. LSU, NC State vs. No. 15 Miami, No. 19 Virginia vs. Duke, Memphis vs. East Carolina, Florida vs. No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 13 Utah vs. Baylor, Mississippi State vs. Missouri, and TCU vs. No. 12 BYU. All of these games are on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, or the SEC Network, all channels owned by Disney.
But other big headliner is on ABC when No. 10 Texas travels to No. 5 Georgia for a huge SEC showdown with College Football Playoff implications. The Longhorns are still in the thick of the SEC race with just one conference loss, but another would almost certainly eliminate them from both SEC contention and the College Football Playoff, as they would add a third loss overall.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are sitting comfortably at 8-1 and their College Football playoff hopes might be able to absorb another loss, should they lose this game. But with two teams still undefeated in SEC play, losing to Texas would likely dash their hopes of playing in yet another SEC Championship Game.
Details on the Negotiations Between Disney and Google to Restore ESPN Channels to YouTube TV
The two companies have been at the negotiating table for quite some time now, but the conversations got a lot more serious in recent days with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Google CEO Sundar Pichai becoming more directly involved. While the deal was not reached in time for Iger to announce it during Disney’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday, it appears that significant progress was made in the lead-up to that notable date.
Critically, the agreement reached between the two sides will actually add value for YouTube TV customers, as ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer “Unlimited” package will now be included with YouTube TV subscriptions. This expands access for WWE fans, who will now be able to enjoy major WWE events without paying for additional subscriptions by the end of 2026.
Ethan Woodie is an accomplished sports writer specializing in the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. He’s written for Heavy since 2025 and has years of experience writing for NFL Trade Rumors and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Woodie is an expert in draft scouting and his final 2025 Big Board was included in Arif Hasan’s media consensus board for Wide Left. More about Ethan Woodie
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