YouTube TV subscribers hoping to watch the Monday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers got a bit of good news — and another chance to watch the game.
YouTube TV has failed to reach a deal with ESPN and Disney over fees, leading to a second straight week of the Monday Night Football blackout for their subscribers. The live streaming provider announced that it would offer some monetary help for the subscribers missing out on the game, while ESPN is expanding coverage to help fans find a way to watch.
ESPN Expands Coverage for Second Straight Week
As The Athletic’s Devon Henderson reported, ESPN is trying to give YouTube TV subscribers another option to watch the game without having to fork out an extra cost for a new streaming provider.
“To provide greater access for YouTube TV subscribers affected by the lapse in coverage, ESPN will air tonightâs ‘Monday Night Football’ game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers on broadcast television through ABC, as well as on cable via ESPN,” Henderson reported. “Last weekâs ‘Monday Night’ game was also shown concurrently on ABC and ESPN, which are both owned by Disney.”
YouTube TV had hope that a deal could be reached before NFL games this weekend, but had a contingency plan to help subscribers in case they didn’t reach the finish line.
“Should no agreement be reached by Sunday to return Disney and ESPN channels to YouTube TV, the streaming service will begin notifying subscribers via email that they can redeem a $20 credit toward their next statement, a source briefed on the negotiations said,” The Athletic reported over the weekend.
The report added that credits were going to be issued by Wednesday.
YouTube TV has close to 10 million subscribers, the report noted, with live sports being one of the biggest draws.
Monday Night Football Carries Big Stakes
YouTube TV subscribers able to find a way to watch Monday Night Football will see a high-stakes contest. The game is a rematch of last year’s wild-card playoff game and comes after the Packers sponsored an NFL rule change proposal that would have outlawed the “Tush Push.”
A league source told ESPN that the Packers may have put themselves in a rough spot when the rule change was not adopted, allowing the Eagles to continue running it behind the strength of their offensive line and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
“The Packers didn’t do their coaches any favors if they weren’t sure they could get rid of it,” a defensive coach told ESPN. “They knew they were going to have to play them again and if this thing didn’t pass, look out.”
Former Packers president Mark Murphy spoke out against the play, saying earlier this year that he believed there was enough support to eliminate it.
“I would be shocked if it wasn’t,” Murphy said. “It’s just a bad look for the league. And I didn’t realize it, I guess [officials] miss a lot of false starts. I guess because [players] are all bunched in so close together that it’s hard to see.”
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