Report: YouTube TV to offer sports-only package at cheaper rate in 2026

YouTube TV will reportedly debut a new sports-only subscription plan in 2026 that will be cheaper than its current $82 per month pricing, according to The Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand, though no official pricing has been determined yet.

The popular Alphabet Inc.-owned streaming platform will launch more than 10 new subscription plans for different genre-specific content in early 2026, YouTube TV announced in a blog post Wednesday, according to Bloomberg. YouTube TV’s Sports Plan will provide access to all major broadcast networks, as well as sports-specific channels such as FOX’s FS1, NBC Sports Network and all of Disney’s ESPN family of networks. Customers can also add YouTube TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package and the popular NFL RedZone as add-ons, per Bloomberg.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

This news comes less than a month after Google’s YouTube TV resolved a lengthy two-week carriage dispute with Disney’s ABC and ESPN networks in mid-November that frustrated sports fans in the midst of football season.

YouTube TV-Disney carriage dispute: ESPN networks return following blackout

After a two-week blackout that saw ABC and ESPN family of networks removed from YouTube TV, Disney’s full lineup of channels returned Nov. 14. Additionally, ESPN’s full lineup of sports – including content from the ESPN Unlimited app, launched earlier this year – will be made available to YouTube TV’s base plan subscribers at no additional cost by the end of 2026.

“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement to On3. “Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf.”

Disney also released a statement after the news broke Nov. 14. The company confirmed the full list of channels is already coming back.

“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,” said Disney Entertainment co-chairs Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, in a statement.

“It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.” 

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.