Disney, YouTube TV remain in talks to restore ABC and ESPN

(Reuters) -Disney said on Friday it is continuing talks with Google's YouTube TV to restore ABC and ESPN after its networks went dark on the pay-TV service. On Monday, YouTube TV proposed restoring ABC and ESPN, in response to Disney's request to bring back ABC to the pay-TV service for Election Day coverage. "YouTube TV continues to insist on receiving preferential terms that are below market and has made few concessions," Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a memo on Friday to employees. Disney began talks with YouTube TV by offering YouTube TV a "deal that would cost less overall than the terms of our recently expired license," they said in the memo. "That's real savings that YouTube TV could pass along to its customers." It said it had offered fair terms, in line with agreements reached by other distributors since last summer, according to the memo. YouTube TV did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. One of the largest U.S. pay-TV distributors, YouTube TV has been in a series of negotiations this year with companies threatening to pull their networks from the platform. Disney's networks went dark YouTube TV late last Thursday after talks failed to produce a licensing deal, the companies said in separate statements. (Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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