Short answer: You’re likely unable to watch MNF on YouTube TV right now because Disney (which owns ESPN and ABC) and YouTube TV are in a carriage dispute, causing ESPN/ABC channels to be blackout on YouTube TV. This means the Monday Night Football game airing on ESPN or ABC isn’t available to YouTube TV subscribers until a resolution is reached.
Context and what’s happening
- The dispute centers on how much YouTube TV pays per subscriber to Disney for access to ESPN, ABC, and other Disney networks. When the agreement lapsed, Disney pulled those channels from YouTube TV, affecting roughly 10 million subscribers.
- As a result, MNF games scheduled for ESPN or ABC aren’t streaming on YouTube TV during the blackout period. Disney has criticized the terms YouTube TV proposed, while YouTube TV has indicated it cannot offer the channels under the current deal.
- The NFL’s own rights and other streaming options aren’t impacted on their own platforms; viewers simply need to access MNF through alternative services that carry ESPN/ABC or await a new agreement. Some outlets have reported temporary guidance from ESPN directing viewers to other ways to watch, and there are mentions of an ESPN+ direct-to-consumer path, though it may not replicate the full ESPN/ABC linear experience.
What you can do right now
- Check if you have access to MNF through other services that carry ESPN/ABC in your region (varies by country and plan).
- Consider ESPN’s own streaming options or a different streaming service that has ESPN/ABC in its package, if available to you.
- If you’re on YouTube TV, you’re currently affected by the blackout; you may want to monitor updates from Disney and YouTube TV for a potential resolution or a temporary workaround announced close to game time.
Why this matters for MNF
- MNF is airing on ESPN and ABC, so any disruption to those Disney networks affects YouTube TV subscribers first, while some other platforms remain unaffected if they maintain a separate carriage agreement with Disney. The situation is a carrier-dispute rather than a single game being unavailable by default.
Direct answer
- The reason you can’t watch MNF on YouTube TV right now is a carriage dispute between Disney (owners of ESPN and ABC) and YouTube TV. Disney pulled ESPN/ABC from YouTube TV due to the disagreement on fees, so the MNF game airing on those networks isn’t available to YouTube TV subscribers until an agreement is reached. Other streaming options may be available that carry ESPN/ABC, but YouTube TV cannot provide MNF for the time being.
