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YouTube TV is offering subscribers a rebate as its fight with Disney drags on — with a few caveats.
The Google-owned TV service said Sunday that it's offering customers a $20 bill credit, partially reimbursing them for the sports and shows they've missed on Disney's networks, like ESPN, in the last 11 days. This rebate takes off about a quarter of YouTube TV's $83 a month price tag.
"We know it's been disappointing to lose Disney content, and we want you to know we deeply appreciate your patience," YouTube TV said in an email to subscribers about the $20 bill credit. YouTube added that it's "been working in good faith" to reach a fair deal with Disney, which has argued that the tech giant is using its market power to drive down the rate it's paying.
There are two key catches with YouTube TV's rebate: it's not automatically applied, and the opt-in bill credit counts toward a customer's next month, not this month.
To receive the partial refund, YouTube TV customers must click this link, which directs them to the updates tab on the YouTube TV website or app. Subscribers can then click a blue button that says "claim credit" to get the $20 rebate applied to their next billing month.
A Google spokesperson said that YouTube TV subscribers will receive the rebate link via email in the coming days. While this is a simple two-step process that takes less than 30 seconds, it's still more effort than an automatic credit. (If subscribers are billed through a third-party service like Google Play, the credit will be applied automatically, YouTube TV's website says.)
The other caveat is that this $20 bill credit applies to a YouTube TV subscriber's next month, instead of their current statement. That means customers must stick around for another month to get the rebate — and that those who've already left the service won't be partially refunded.
"You must have an active YouTube TV Base subscription to be eligible for this credit," YouTube TV's website says. That means those whose subscriptions are paused or canceled must unpause or uncancel them to receive this bill credit.
This rebate comes in part from the money that YouTube and Google are saving while they're not paying Disney for access to its channels. And by making most current subscribers opt in to the bill credit, YouTube will avoid paying out the rebate to subscribers who missed the memo.
Now that YouTube TV subscribers have received the credit, the next big question is when the stalemate with Disney ends. A look at past carriage disputes suggests it could linger for at least a few more days, if "Monday Night Football" isn't enough of a catalyst to get a deal done.
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