BURBANK, California: Millions of U.S. viewers lost access to Disney's TV networks after talks between Disney and Google's YouTube TV collapsed, ending in a blackout just minutes before their contract expired.

The blackout affects primary channels, including ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Disney Channel, and ABC News Live, both companies confirmed in separate statements.

A source told Reuters that Disney's channels were pulled ahead of the official midnight deadline. YouTube TV announced the move on X (formerly Twitter) at 11:16 p.m. ET.

With over 10 million subscribers, YouTube TV is one of the largest Pay TV distributors in the U.S., but it has faced a string of tense negotiations this year as media companies seek higher fees for their content.

Earlier this month, YouTube TV narrowly avoided a similar blackout by reaching last-minute renewal deals with NBCUniversal, Fox, and Paramount. However, discussions with Disney broke down over what YouTube TV called unreasonable pricing demands.

"Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we'll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney's TV products," YouTube TV said in a social media post.

Disney pushed back, accusing Google of using its massive scale to squeeze content providers. "With a US$3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we've successfully negotiated with every other distributor," a Disney spokesperson said.

YouTube TV said it would issue a $20 credit to subscribers if Disney's channels remain offline for an extended period, as negotiations continue.

Disney said it remains committed to finding a resolution "as quickly as possible " but did not provide a timeline for restoring its channels.

The blackout highlights growing tensions between streaming distributors and legacy media companies, as both sides battle for subscription dollars in an increasingly fragmented TV market.

Last month, YouTube TV also dropped Univision after contract talks failed, another sign of how fragile carriage agreements have become in the era of rising costs and slowing subscriber growth.