Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess

Sports Streaming Faces Growing Fragmentation

Accessing sports content online is easier than ever, but for dedicated fans wanting to watch every game of their favorite team, the experience is increasingly complicated.

YouTube TV's Monday Night Football Blackout

The ongoing blackout of Monday Night Football on YouTube TV highlights this problem. A dispute between Disney and YouTube TV has caused ESPN and other Disney-owned channels to go dark on the Google-owned streaming platform since October 30th.

Background on the Dispute

The two companies are at odds over the fees YouTube must pay to carry Disney's networks. Both sides have deemed the other's financial demands unreasonable, resulting in a deadlock.

“Just frustrating,” said JJ Watt, former NFL star who played nearly a decade with the Houston Texans. “All of it.”

Watt expressed his frustration on X (formerly Twitter), announcing he was ready to give up on watching Monday Night Football due to the blackout.

Fans' Reactions and Alternatives

While some devoted fans started signing up for trial subscriptions on competitors like Hulu Live or FuboTV, Watt dismissed the idea.

“I’m not paying for another streaming subscription,” he added.

Newsletter Note

This summary is based on Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter covering the evolving tech and entertainment landscape, syndicated weekly for The Verge subscribers.

Author's summary: The sports streaming landscape is increasingly fragmented, frustrating fans as disputes like the Disney vs. YouTube TV blackout block access and drive subscriptions fragmentation.

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The Verge The Verge — 2025-11-07

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