YouTube TV‘s approximately 10 million subscribers no longer have access to Disney-owned stations, including ABC and ESPN, after their carrier deal expired at midnight Thursday and the two sides failed to reach a new agreement.
In Philadelphia, that means 6ABC and fan-favorite shows like “Abbott Elementary” won’t be available for the Google-owned platform. If the blackout continues, it would also mean the Philadelphia Eagles game against the Green Bay Packers on Monday, Nov. 10, won’t be available on the streamer.
In a statement, YouTube TV said Disney began using the threat of a blackout as a negotiating tactic last week.
“We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV,” the company wrote.
Meanwhile, Disney blamed YouTube TV.
“With a $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,” the company said in a statement. “We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.”
YouTube TV said it will offer subscribers a $20 credit if the stations remain off its service for an “extended period,” although it did not specify how long that would be.
YouTube TV has had a number of issues with other networks this year. There were threats of blackouts during negotiations with Paramount, which owns CBS, in February and with Fox Corporation in August. YouTube TV also got into a conflict with Comcast-owned NBCUniversal, although the pair reached a multiyear agreement on Oct. 2. While those negotiations avoided blackouts, partially due to temporary contract extensions, Univision has been in a continued blackout with YouTube TV since September.
Disney networks including ABC and ESPN have gone dark on Google-owned YouTube TV after the two corporate giants couldn’t come to terms on a new deal. And the two sides wasted no time pointing fingers.
A post on the YouTube blog says, “Last week, Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers. They’re now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV. This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
“We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV.”
But a Disney spokesperson said in a statement that, “Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC. Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming.
” … Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.”
YouTube did say that if Disney content stays off YouTubeTV for “an extended period,” YouTube would offer subscribers a $20 credit.
Other Disney channels gone from YouTube TV for now include Nat Geo, FX and the Disney Channel.
Disney’s channels have gone dark on YouTube TV after the companies failed to reach an agreement by their October 30 deadline. The affected channels include ESPN, local ABC stations, ABC News, FX, NatGeo, Disney Channel and Freeform. “Last week Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers,” YouTube said in an announcement on its blog. “They’re now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV.” YouTube added that Disney’s decision harms its subscribers while benefiting its own live TV products, such as Hulu+Live TV and Fubo.
In a statement sent to the Los Angeles Times, however, Disney accused Google’s YouTube TV of choosing to deny “subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for [its] channels, including ESPN and ABC.” Disney also accused Google of using its market dominance to “eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms” that other pay-TV distributors have agreed to pay for its content. YouTube TV lost access to Disney channels back in 2021, but they were immediately able to strike a deal that restored the channels the very next day. The companies are most likely still trying to negotiate at the moment, but Google says it will offer subscribers a $20 credit if Disney channels remain offline for an extended period of time.
Google has had to make several similar announcements over the past year. In February, YouTube TV almost lost Paramount content, including CBS, CBS Sports and Nickelodeon, before reaching a last-minute deal. The same thing happened in August with Fox. More recently, Google and NBCUniversal also came to an agreement at the eleventh hour, though YouTube TV lost access to Univision, the largest Spanish-language broadcaster in the US.
Disney‘s networks including ESPN and ABC are going dark on YouTube TV.
Google says YouTube TV expects to remove Disney’s networks at the stroke of midnight ET, after the two sides remain far apart on a deal renewal to keep ABC, ESPN and more on the internet TV service. The main sticking point is price — Disney is asking for rate hikes that Google isn’t willing to agree to.
YouTube TV says that if Disney’s channels remain unavailable for “an extended period of time,” it will offer subscribers a one-time $20 credit. YouTube TV’s base subscription plan costs $82.99/month. With the blackout, TV users nationwide will lose their local ABC stations, as well as access to ESPN sports programming including NFL, college football, NBA and NHL games.
Beginning at 9 p.m. PT on Oct. 30/12 a.m. ET on Oct. 31, YouTube TV will begin pulling Disney-owned networks off its service, when the companies’ previous agreement expires. In addition to dropping the live networks, YouTube TV also is removing any DVR library recordings users have made from those networks.
Disney began alerting viewers on Oct. 23 about the carriage dispute with YouTube TV, pointing out that its networks could be removed from the pay-TV provider. YouTube TV is the biggest internet-TV service in the U.S., estimated to have more than 10 million subscribers. In second place is Disney, which just closed a deal to merge its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo; together, those have almost 6 million subs in North America.
“Last week Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement. “They’re now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV. This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.”
The YouTube rep continued, “We know this is a frustrating and disappointing outcome for our subscribers and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV. If their content remains off YouTube TV for an extended period of time, we’ll offer subscribers a $20 credit.”
According to Disney, YouTube TV wants a better deal than anyone else in the market — including Comcast and Charter, which have more TV customers — and is unwilling to pay market rates for Disney’s networks or agree to terms that Disney has reached with other distributors, including it own Hulu + Live TV and Fubo services. In its negotiations with Google, Disney also has proposed new genre-based tiers and packaging flexibility to give YouTube TV customers more choices.
“Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC,” a Disney spokesperson said. “Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming, which includes the best lineup in live sports — anchored by the NFL, NBA, and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams playing this weekend.”
The Disney rep continued: “With a $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. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.”
Here’s the full list of networks being pulled from YouTube TV: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, SEC Network, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Localish; on the Spanish plan, ESPN Deportes, Baby TV Español and Nat Geo Mundo.
Disney+ is making its first foray into HDR10+ content, but access to this content will be limited at the start. About 1,000 shows from Hulu will be available with this HDR standard, although other programming under the Disney umbrella will add support at an unspecified later date. Samsung, which is a major player behind this standard for high dynamic range video, announced the news. Disney+ will first offer the HDR10+ content on Samsung Crystal UHD TVs and above for models dating back to 2018, as well as select on Samsung Smart Monitors.
HDR10+ builds on the HDR10 tech for image quality. It’s an alternative to Dolby Vision, and both technologies offer viewers a wider range of contrast, brightness and colors on a scene-by-scene basis. (Assuming you have a screen that supports it, of course.)
Netflix announced the addition of HDR10+ support in March, but a handful of platforms have supported the standard for much longer.
Emma Thompson in ‘Down Cemetery Road’ Credit: courtesy of Apple TV
Premieres Wednesday:
Ballad of a Small Player — Filmmaker Edward Berger (Conclave) casts Colin Farrell as an inveterate gambler and swindler living under an assumed identity in China. The Wall Street Journal called it “a failed attempt to wring laughs out of this abundantly awful man.” That was on page B25, directly opposite a full-page profile of Peter Thiel. (Netflix)
Down Cemetery Road — Emma Thompson plays a private investigator whose search for a missing girl uncovers a shocking secret: Vast numbers of Britons who were believed dead are secretly still alive and well. “How does a guy get in on that?” asks Keir Starmer. (Apple TV)
Hazbin Hotel Season 2 — With the forces of Heaven vanquished, Charlie finds her infernal hostelry overrun with new guests who see no need to renounce their evil ways. See, God? This is what happens when you think you’re putting Charlie Kirk somewhere where he can’t do any more damage. (Prime Video)
Ink Master — The prize is not only $250,000 but recognition for one’s origins in Season 17, which carries the theme “Hometown Heroes.” That’s a significant departure from the previous 16 seasons, the theme of which was “hepatitis.” (Paramount+)
Selling Sunset — Season 9 adds new realtor Sandra Vergara, who just so happens to be Sofia Vergara’s cousin. And also her adoptive sister. How does that work, you ask? Forget it, Jake, it’s Sunset! (Netflix)
Star Wars: Visions — Season 3 of the animated anthology hearkens back to Season 1 by once again focusing entirely on anime. I don’t know, do we think that genre is really bankable yet? (Disney+)
Colin Farrell in ‘Ballad of a Small Player’ Credit: courtesy of Netflix
Premieres Thursday:
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers — Archival footage and interviews with survivors paint a documentary portrait of the criminal psychopath who made living in Central Florida a waking nightmare in the late 20th century. And here you thought everyone had forgotten Glenda Hood! (Netflix)
Amsterdam Empire — Famke Janssen takes on the role of a former Europop star who tries to ruin her husband’s cannabis business as revenge for his infidelity. I never thought I’d say this, but J.Lo’s inability to find true and lasting love suddenly seems kind of trivial. (Netflix)
Hell House LLC: Lineage — The fifth and final installment in the franchise about a cursed haunted attraction is the first one that isn’t based on found footage. Which I’m assuming means it was stolen. (Shudder)
Juan Gabriel: I Must, I Can, I Will — Four documentary episodes retrace the remarkable career of the flamboyant Mexican balladeer, who became a gay icon despite having fathered six children with three different women. In related news, my strategy of hanging around the Parliament House for four years is due to put me up to my neck in it any minute now. (Netflix)
Son of a Donkey — The Australian YouTube duo known as Superwog launches a new series that explores the lighter side of modern challenges like road rage, online scams and failing kidneys. It must be nice to live in a country where those are your biggest problems. Some of us would gladly give up a kidney to be that close to Kylie. (Netflix)
The Witcher Season 4 — The eagerly anticipated penultimate season finds Liam Hemsworth taking over the title role from Henry Cavill. But don’t worry, Henry fans: You’ll be able to see him soon enough, in … oh, I’ll think of something. (Netflix)
Premieres Friday:
Bad Influencer — A single mother with a special-needs child to take care of runs afoul of the law when she conscripts an aspiring influencer to help her sell phony handbags. And she might have gotten away with it, if Kim Kardashian hadn’t spotted the unauthorized knockoff of her pubes. (Netflix)
Breathless — The Joaquín Sorolla Hospital has gone entirely private as Season 2 begins, forcing our already taxed resident physicians to make some tough choices. For example, when they have to tell a cancer patient that insurance won’t cover her treatment, do they do it through the portal or as a Zoom puppet show? (Netflix)
The White House Effect — Return with us now to the complicated days of Bush 41, when warring factions of the Republican party problematized the administration’s response to climate change. Nowadays, the warring factions are the ones who want to ignore it and the ones who want to ignore it while wearing blackface. (Netflix)
Premieres Monday:
Crutch — This spinoff from the CBS series The Neighborhood has Tracy Morgan as a Harlem businessman who’s having to do a lot of recalibrating now that his grown son and daughter have moved back in with him. In the hilarious third episode, the son comes out as gay and Tracy stabs him to death with a kitchen knife. (Paramount+)
In Waves and War — Follow the healing journey of three Navy SEALs who had to travel overseas to be prescribed psychedelics for their PTSD. Meanwhile, ICE want you to know they’re going to shoot you in the face if you try to charge them for that vanilla latte. (Netflix)
Premieres Tuesday:
All’s Fair — And speaking of Kim Kardashian, she’s been cast in the lead role of a divorce attorney in Ryan Murphy’s new legal drama. Supporting parts go to Glenn Close, Naomi Watts and Sarah Paulson, who might be stars themselves someday if they can just get their muffs on Candies. (Hulu)
Leanne Morgan: Unspeakable Things — Taking a momentary step away from her Netflix sitcom, the Tennessee comedian fills us in on everything that’s been going on in her life, like adjusting to success and trying gummies. As opposed to Pete Davidson, who’s adjusting to gummies and thinking about trying success. (Netflix)
Squid Game: The Challenge — The spinoff competition show stays married to the bit in Season 2, pitting another 456 contestants against each other in pursuit of $4.56 million. High concept, right? Now give me my two tickets to Tucson, because my flight is boarding at Gate 2 in two minutes. (Netflix)
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Plus a schlock-doc about the racialized 2023 Ocala shooting and the return of ‘Loot’ on Apple TV
Plus everything else debuting on Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock and the rest
Plus everything else debuting this week on Prime Video, Shudder, AMC+ and the rest
A classic Disney movie is getting the 4K treatment ahead of its 25th anniversary, celebrating a fan-favorite animated movie.
What Disney classic is getting a new 4K release?
The 2000 classic animated comedy The Emperor’s New Groove is getting a new 4K release, as well as a special theatrical run at Los Angeles’ El Capitan Theatre from November 21-23, 2025. The 4K release is set to arrive on December 9, 2025, and will also coincide with a new release on digital platforms.
The 4K release will include the 4K UHD, digital, and Blu-ray versions of the film, allowing fans to watch any of the versions they want.
Originally released in 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove stars David Spade as Emperor Kuzco, an emperor who is transformed into a llama by his ex-advisor, and must navigate how to return to his body while learning about himself. Alongside Spade, the movie also stars John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, and Wendie Malick.
The film was directed by Mark Dindal and written by David Reynolds, and actually wasn’t a massive hit upon release. However, the movie became even bigger after its home media release, and was 2001’s best-selling home video release. In the years since, the movie has become one fans of Disney look back on fondly. It’s also the subject of underground documentary The Sweatbox, which chronicles the complicated production with several animator interviews.
More information on the film’s 4K release is likely to come in the future, including a look at what special features might be on the release — as well as pricing.
EXCLUSIVE: ABC is putting work into finding the next big TV music competition series — and it has turned to a maestro of the genre to test a new format.
Deadline hears that the Disney-owned network has set Simon Cowell as a judge on a proof-of-concept taping of Who’s In The Band, a talent search for the next One Direction.
He will judge alongside a panel that includes Joe Jonas, Spice Girl Mel B (a frequent Cowell collaborator on America’s Got Talent and beyond), and songwriter Savan Kotecha. Rei Ami, who provided Zoey’s singing voice in Netflix sensation KPop Demon Hunters, is on hosting duties.
Who’s In The Band casting materials suggest it will contain a twist on the well-trodden genre, with singers performing the same song, at the same time, in different colored tubes.
The Who’s In The Band test shoot will take place on October 30 at Eastbrook Studios in London. Sources say the presentation will not air on ABC, and there is no series greenlight. It is believed to be part of the network’s plan to launch a new talent competition series as soon as this coming summer. ABC currently has veteran reality series American Idol — which made Cowell a household name in the US with its original incarnation on Fox — returning for a new season in early 2026.
Who’s In The Band hails from Yes Yes Media, the London and LA-based production company founded by Richard Bacon, the former television presenter turned format guru. The recording has generated a smattering of press in the UK, but Deadline is the first to reveal ABC’s involvement. The network declined to comment.
Cowell has never featured as a judge on an ABC reality series, sitting out of the network’s American Idol reboot. He did collaborate with ABC on American Inventor in 2006, but only as a producer. Cowell has remained a fixture on network TV as a judge and executive producer on NBC’s America’s Got Talent.
Yes Yes launched in 2023 with backers including Courteney Cox and Sister, producer of Black Doves. Deadline reported in July that the company was piloting BBC show, The Easiest Quiz Show in the World, with Strictly Come Dancing winner Chris McCausland.
Mark Sidaway, former The X Factor showrunner and Yes Yes Media’s head of entertainment, is involved in producing Who’s In The Band.
Music reality series focused on assembling a group have been around for years. Some notable examples include Popstars, Making the Band, and most recently, Netflix’s Building the Band.
The Food Network’s ‘Outrageous Pumpkins’ judge Terri Hardin shares her sculpting tips
Credit: Irvin Rivera
Pumpkins are a billion-dollar business in the U.S. Their sweet, earthy aroma has found its way into everything from breakfast cereal to hand cream, but much of the fresh fruit sold this month will end up on porches with two eyes and a candle inside.
The contestants Terri Hardin judged on five seasons of the Food Network’s Outrageous Pumpkins attacked gourds with chainsaws, grinders and sanders to craft a crop of prize-winning jack-o’-lanterns up to 6 feet tall for the TV competition show. Back home in Burbank, Hardin is a veteran Muppeteer for the Jim Henson Co. and has worked on numerous rides and attractions as a Disney Imagineer. This time of year, the artist shares her pumpkin expertise through videos and a line of customized tool kits. She even takes on a limited number of students at her home studio for a master class in the art of pumpkin sculpting. We asked her for tips on tackling the calabaza.
Credit: Irvin Rivera
Q: What’s the difference between carving and sculpting?
A: The jack-o’-lantern type is carved, meaning you’re cutting a full-on hole. You punch through and the light is a hot yellow. With sculpting, you take the skin off and carve the flesh. You’re playing with various thicknesses, creating different hues, from rosy colors to fiery oranges depending on how close you are to the light inside.
Q: What kind of pumpkin is best for sculpting?
A: You can go out and get an orange pumpkin from the grocery store, but those are evil. There’s a breed that grows like celery and if you catch a thread, it can rip your pumpkin in two. If you go to a patch where they’re growing, they can tell you the variety. If you dream of a big pumpkin, you could ask for a Big Mac, which starts at about 100 pounds. The stem of a Wolf pumpkin looks like a sequoia tree – and that’s a fun one if you want orange. Walmart happens to have a really nice pumpkin called the Ghost. It has a smooth white surface like a casaba melon and it’s about the size of a basketball; that one is easy and fun to carve. Some people use butternut squash. I had one 2 ½ feet long and thought, “Wouldn’t this make some nice horns or nice tentacles?”
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Q: What’s your class like?
A: I ask [students] to bring a picture of what they want. Jack Skellington is a really good one to start with or maybe I’ll do Godzilla. We once did a howler monkey in a little hat. You draw the lines but don’t cut them out. You scribe on the surface and shave off the eyes, nose and mouth so that it looks like a creature in a pumpkin mask. Some of my classes hold me to a two-hour window, and other times we’ll do it until God turns the lights out. Some students take hours just because it’s so much fun.
Earlier this week, Adam Driver sent a disturbance through the Force when he revealed The Hunt for Ben Solo, a Star Wars film developed by himself, director Steven Soderbergh, and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, which the actor said was backed by Lucasfilm but ultimately scrapped by Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman. However, a new report twists the lightsaber in a bit further, alleging that the movie had made significant headway into initial development before it was killed.
Playlist reports that The Hunt for Ben Solo—which would’ve been set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and resurrected the titular character after he seemingly sacrificed himself to resurrect Rey—purportedly had received an internal green light from Lucasfilm when it was then offered to Disney executives for approval.
What that meant was that the film, allegedly developed under the codename “Quiet Leaves,” had a finalized script in place and was entering early phases of staffing and pre-production planning after Lucasfilm itself had given the studio’s approval. At that point, Disney had already purchased a “beat sheet”—a document providing a broad chronological guideline of the planned events and emotional beats of a story to guide the eventual screenplay—from Soderbergh and his wife, Jules Asner, the latter writing under the pen name Rebecca Blunt.
At that point, Burns (who had previously been involved in Star Wars on iterations of the Rogue One script before eventual Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy was brought into that project) was reportedly paid “more than any screenwriter in Lucasfilm history,” according to Playlist, to write the script.
Lucasfilm, which at this stage had not yet entered production on a new Star Wars film after the release of The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, allegedly only waited until The Hunt for Ben Solo was considered ready to begin filming before presenting it to Disney, with a “final script, budget, and proposed start date,” only for Iger and Bergman to reject it, citing confusion about the survival of the redeemed Kylo Ren.
io9 has reached out to Lucasfilm for comment on the veracity of Playlist’s report and will update this story when and if we hear from the studio.
But the report does coincide with public statements made earlier this week on Bluesky by an account believed to be Soderbergh’s. The account “Bitchuation” (a handle Soderbergh had previously used on Twitter before seemingly migrating to the rival social media platform in November 2024) stated in a series of messages on October 22, two days after Driver’s public reveal of the project, that “I did not enjoy lying about the existence of THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO, but it really did need to remain a secret…until now!”
“Also, in the aftermath of the HFBS situation, I asked Kathy Kennedy if LFL had ever turned in a finished movie script for greenlight to Disney and had it rejected,” the account continued. “She said no, this was a first.”
Playlist further noted that the reason both Driver and Soderbergh have felt comfortable discussing The Hunt for Ben Solo this week is that, in spite of positive fan reaction to the idea, both actor and director firmly believe that the project is permanently dead, and they are no longer bound by any related disclosure agreements (no Ryan Reynolds Deadpool leak here, it seems).
Unrelated to Hunt for Ben Solo, Playlist also further touched upon a recent claim from the InSneider that director David Fincher had attempted to develop a new Star Wars film, only for it to be turned down. Contrary to that initial report, Playlist claims that Fincher’s project—supposedly set between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker—never went beyond very early conversations and concepts and didn’t gain traction with Lucasfilm, rather than breaking down over say on the final cut of the film, as the InSneider had suggested.
We’ll bring you more on Lucasfilm’s plans for the future of Star Wars—scrapped or otherwise—as we learn them.
It’s no secret at this point that the latest season of Doctor Who ended with an almighty mess—leaving the series in a state of limbo that has only continued to get messier as time has gone on. One of the first initial signs of that messiness, beyond the content of “The Reality War” itself, was when Disney+ promoted the episode with a promotional image of a scene that was not actually in the final episode, leading fans to wonder if Ncuti Gatwa’s shock exit from the show was not originally intended to be.
Now, a surprising source has seemingly confirmed that that was the case: the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan, aka actress Carole Ann Ford. Speaking recently in conversation with fellow Doctor Who companion Katy Manning at Club Parramatta in Sydney, Australia (via Cultbox), Ford revealed new details about the scene glimpsed in that promotional image of the still-alive 15th Doctor dancing in a club with his seemingly still-current companion, Belinda Chandra.
“You didn’t see the episode, which was to sort of introduce my coming back, where I was holding hands with a little—beautiful little tiny Black child, three years old. And we were watching through the window somewhere where the audience wasn’t supposed to know where we were supposed to be,” Ford explained “And we were watching my newly embodied grandfather, who was now Ncuti [Gatwa], and watching him have a wonderful time singing and dancing in a party in a shop opposite where we were. And obviously I, my character Susan, was longing to just go there and fling her arms around her grandfather and say, ‘Grandfather, how lovely to see you after all this time and how did you survive your floating about in space… and why have you changed?’”
The child in question appears to be Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps, the actress who played Poppy—initially introduced as a standalone character in Gatwa’s first season in the episode “Space Babies,” Poppy became a central figure in the 2025 season’s two-part finale “Wish World” and “The Reality War,” where she was wished into being by an alternate reality earth as the Human-Time Lord child of a married Doctor and Belinda.
In the version of “The Reality War” that was broadcast, Susan didn’t appear at all, and Poppy, who was in danger of being erased entirely with the reset of reality, was saved by the 15th Doctor’s sacrifice, kickstarting his regeneration process to change reality enough to allow Poppy to continue to exist as Belinda’s completely human daughter and retroactively establish Belinda’s arc across the prior season as really being about needing to get home to a child that she previously did not have.
Where the arc would’ve gone now seems to be thrown into doubt, given not just that Doctor Who has still yet to be announced as getting a new season any time soon, but also due to the significant changes made to this storyline as eventually broadcast. As to how things would’ve played out, Ford declined to say.
“Anyway, that was unfortunately not to be—for reasons I know and will not disclose,” the actress concluded. Ford’s sole appearance in the season—the first time she had appeared on-screen in Doctor Who since the 1993 charity special Dimensions In Time—would remain as a nebulous vision seen by the 15th Doctor during the events of “The Interstellar Song Contest.”
While whatever Doctor Who had planned for either Susan or Poppy remains unclear, the only thing with any clarity that has emerged from this season is that things did not go as they were originally planned.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: YouTube TV may lose a provider’s content because a deadline is approaching without a deal in place. This time, the media company is Disney. It’s warning (via Variety) that its networks could soon go dark on Google’s streaming service.
The two sides are negotiating ahead of an October 30 midnight ET deadline. If they can’t agree by then, all Disney content will disappear from YouTube TV. That includes (among others) all ESPN channels, local ABC stations, ABC News, FX, NatGeo, Disney Channel and Freeform. A YouTube spokesperson told Variety that if that should happen for “an extended period of time,” subscribers will receive a $20 credit.
One aspect of these battles is finger-pointing as each side tries to leverage public perception. Disney says YouTube is trying to muscle the mouse into paying below market value. Meanwhile, YouTube claims Disney is “proposing costly economic terms” that could lead to even higher subscription fees. YouTube TV launched at $35 per month in 2017 and now costs a whopping $83 monthly.
If recent history is any indication, you can expect the dire warnings of content removal to continue until they strike a deal at the last second. That already happened several times this year.
In February, YouTube TV and Paramount had that dance. Google’s streaming network and Fox came to a renewal deal in August after repeated content-removal warnings. YouTube TV and NBCUniversal did the thing earlier this month. However, in that case, the streaming service dropped Univision and other TelevisaUnivision networks, so tidy deals aren’t inevitable. Time will tell how this one plays out, but it’s hard to imagine either side here wanting to play chicken past the October 30 deadline.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney parks, Sam’s Club will be offering a 10% discount. You will be able to purchase up to $800 in gift cards for $720 online. This offer is not live yet, but will launch on November 6/7. Check out more details below.
Offer Details
Buy a $200 Disney Gift Card for $180. Limit 4 per member.
This offer does not start until November 7th but Plus members may shop 12 hours early, on November 6th at 9:00 pm EST.
A 10% discount on Disney Gift Cards is as good as it gets. Disney is expensive in general, so any discount helps. You can also check out the best shopping portals for Sam’s Club purchases to maximize your savings.
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It’s one of the most eagerly awaited series of the year, with a trailer that boasts 44 million views. All’s Fair and its high-flying female cast will soon be arriving on Disney+. To celebrate, lead actors Kim Kardashian, Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson, and Niecy Nash have embarked on a promotional marathon that began in Los Angeles and recently came to Paris, for a screening at La Maison de la Chimie on Kardashian’s 45th birthday. On the pink carpet, a veritable parade of fashion and icons unfolded in front of an audience of journalists, photographers, and a lucky few fans.
Between a photocall and an interview, the show’s six stars gathered on a lobby staircase for an exclusive photo session with Vanity Fair France. Paulson, dressed in a white Schiaparelli ensemble, was the first to lend herself to a few light tests, followed by Nash, Taylor, Close, and Watts. Last to arrive on the pink carpet was Kardashian, sculptural in a vintage Dior piece by John Galliano, accompanied by her mother, Kris Jenner. The shoot ended with applause and a round of “Happy Birthday” initiated by Nash.
After presenting Monster: The Ed Gein Story earlier this fall, the hyperproductive Ryan Murphy is also behind this new series for Disney+, in collaboration with Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken. The show follows the day-to-day doings in a divorce law firm run by Allura Grant (Kardashian), Liberty Ronson (Watts), and Emerald Greene (Nash). In the manner of a procedural drama, each episode shifts focus between new business and long-running intrigue set against a backdrop of rivalries and betrayals. “In a world where money is king and love is a battlefield, [they] will change the game,” reads the synopsis.
Led by Kardashian, the cast of All’s Fair is made up of many of Murphy’s regular collaborators. They include Paulson, seen in several seasons of American Horror Story and in American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson; Watts, seen in season two of Feud; and Nash, who won an Emmy Award for her role in Dahmer. Long-time icon Close and Taylor, a breakout in the recent film One Battle After Another, are the only newcomers to this universe. In addition to the main cast, the series will feature choice guest stars like Brooke Shields, Judith Light, Elizabeth Berkley, and Jessica Simpson.
Deadline has a fascinating article about those numbers in regard to Disney’s latest release and the news is not good. According to the trade, while the film’s initial budget was in the $170-$180 million range, the number was actually closer to $220 million all in, and with the box office just having eeked past $100 million, the film is likely to lose about $132.7 million.
How does Deadline get to that number? Here’s the trade’s math, but be aware, it’s very confusing, as we said.
Deadline surmises that the film will end up at about $160 million worldwide in the coming weeks. That’s just an estimate. But, if it hits that, Disney will get “$72.2 million in worldwide theatrical rentals, $37.6M in global home entertainment, close to $100M in global home television, with an extra $5 million from airlines for a total of $214.8M in revenues.”
But that number then has to go up against the film’s costs, which, on Tron: Ares, were significant: “$220 million net production cost shot with Vancouver, BC tax credits, a $102.5M global P&A spend with stunts at San Diego Comic-Con, touring light cycles, a laser light Nine Inch Nails laser-light concert at the Los Angeles premiere that closed down Hollywood Boulevard, $10.8M in other costs, and $14.2M in residuals,” according to the trade. That means everything in regard to the film costs $347.5 million but is likely to only make $214.8 million in profit. $347.5 million minus 214.8 million is 132.7 million.
Now are all those numbers exactly right? Maybe not, but certainly, they’re close. Plus, the revenue could end up more, or (more likely) less, than the $160 million Deadline is using. All of which is to say, yeah, Tron: Ares is very unlikely to turn a profit for the studio and is very likely to put an end to the franchise. At least for now.
Because, as the Deadline article also points out, while this film had many, many things going against it, including an overreliance on the Tron IP, it’s still a known IP. It’s got theme park rides, merchandise, and films that people will watch as they find a life beyond the theater. It took 30 years for Tron to get Tron: Legacy and then another 15 for Legacy to get Ares. Tron is probably dead, but with the right story, anything is possible. Just a little less so if you lose $132.7 million.
The original movie set around the witchy Sanderson sisters debuted in 1993, with the long-awaited sequel arriving to Disney+ in 2022. Following the success of Hocus Pocus 2, Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed a third film was in the works in June 2023.
Fast forward over two years since Bailey’s announcement, Bette Midler, who plays one of the three Sanderson sisters, told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she has seen a script for Hocus Pocus 3.
“Well, you know, they sent a script, and a lot of it was brilliant,” she said when asked if there will be a third film. “So I got very excited.”
Midler added, “And now we’re trying to figure out what it is and where it’s going to be and how much it’s going to cost and all those logistical things.”
Hocus Pocus 2 was quite the hit for Disney+, and notably set a record at the time for an opening weekend by a movie on a streamer (with 2.7 billion minutes viewed). Overall, the film also landed as the No. 6 most-streamed movie of 2022, with 5.7 billion minutes viewed.
The First Wives Club star led the first two movies alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy. Kenny Ortega directed the original film, while Anne Fletcher helmed Hocus Pocus 2.
Fletcher is set to return for Hocus Pocus 3 alongside Jen D’Angelo, who wrote the 2022 sequel, THR previously reported.
There you are, sitting in traffic in your car, listening to Taylor Swift on Spotify because it’s easier than subjecting yourself to a new, more challenging artist. An ad pops up in your stream. It’s serious stuff, evidenced by the dystopian tone of the narrator: “Join the mission to protect America,” the serious man’s voice commands, “with bonuses up to $50,000 and generous benefits. Apply now … and fulfill your mission.”
It’s an Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruitment ad, part of the Trump administration’s investment of $30 billion to add more than 10,000 deportation officers to its ranks by the end of the year. You would have been spared the outrage if only you had paid for Spotify’s ad-free tier of service, but there’s no way the audio streamer is getting your money now. You’ll be switching to, say, Apple Music. Maybe Tidal?
The experience of being subjected to recruitment ads for a domestic military force, assembled by a power-hungry president, has generated intense backlash that’s culminated this week in calls for boycotts of streaming services and platforms that have featured ICE spots. They include Pandora, ESPN, YouTube, Hulu and Fubo TV. Multiple HBO Max subscribers bemoaned on X that they were subjected to ICE recruitment videos while watching All Elite Wrestling: “Time to be force-fed ICE commercials against my will for two hours again #WWENXT,” @YKWrestling wrote.
Recruitment ads — Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” poster comes to mind — are an American staple, especially in times of war. But the current recruitment effort is aimed at sending forces into American cities, predicated on exaggerated claims that U.S. metro areas are under siege and in peril due to dangerous illegal immigrants, leftist protesters and out-of-control crime rates. The data, however, does not support those claims. The American Immigration Council found that from 1980 to 2022, while the immigrant share of the U.S. population more than doubled (from 6.2% to 13.9%), the total crime rate declined by over 60%.
Yet there’s a far scarier doomscape on the horizon if ICE’s recruitment efforts are successful: a mercenary army loyal only to Trump, weaponized to keep him on the throne. If that sounds more dystopian than the aforementioned Spotify ad, consider that the administration has spent more than $6.5 million over the past month on a slew of 30-second commercials aimed at luring in police officers.
The ads aired on TVs in more than a dozen cities including Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta and opened with images of each specific metro area’s skyline. Then came the commanding narration: “Attention, Miami law enforcement!” It’s followed by the same messaging that is used in ICE ads across the country: “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city, safe. But in sanctuary cities you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free — Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst. Drug traffickers. Gang members. Predators.”
But are the ads working? It’s hard to say since transparency isn’t a hallmark of the MAGA White House. For what it’s worth, a Sept. 16 press release from the DHS claimed that it had received more than 150,000 applications in response to its campaign and had extended 18,000 tentative job offers.
As for the power of consumer-led boycotts, there’s hope. More than 1.7 million Disney, Hulu and ESPN subscriptions were reportedly canceled between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23 during Jimmy Kimmel’s temporary suspension by ABC (Disney is ABC’s parent company). The network pulled the show after the host’s comments related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination angered MAGA supporters and the Trump-appointed FCC chair appeared to threaten the network. But after a week with a significant increase in cancellations — a 436% jump compared to a normal week — Kimmel was back on the air.
As of today, Spotify appears unmoved by the pressure to pull those intrusive ICE ads. “This advertisement is part of a broad campaign the US government is running across television, streaming, and online channels,” a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement this week. “The content does not violate our advertising policies. However, users can mark any ad with a thumbs up or thumbs down to help manage their ads preferences.”
Thumbs down. Frowny emoji. Cue the dystopian narrator for a counter ad: “Join the mission to protect America: Cancel Spotify.”
Apple announced on Friday that it had signed a five-year deal to bring Formula 1exclusively to Apple TV in the U.S. The deal had been rumored for a while, but now it’s official: Apple just landed one of the world’s most popular—and fastest-growing—sports.
As Apple continues to build out its Apple TV subscription, sports are the obvious place to turn. Apple has dabbled in sports with its MLS package and Friday Night MLB, but this is different. In fact, buried in the press release was something I didn’t expect: Some of it will be free.
Specifically, the company says all practice sessions and select races will be available in the Apple TV app, even for people who don’t pay for an Apple TV subscription. That might sound small, but it completely changes what this deal is really about. Apple didn’t just buy the rights to show F1 races in the U.S., it’s using them to build a funnel.
Look, tech companies have been trying to buy up sports streaming rights every chance they can. The NFL has games on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube. The NBA, which starts its season soon, split its distribution rights across a handful of different platforms. Every one of those platforms hopes to use their slice of the pie to entice customers to sign up for their service.
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Basically, they pay billions to lock something behind a subscription and force you to pay. But Apple isn’t doing that here. At least, not entirely. A lot of the overall F1 content will be available for free in the Apple TV app.
There are a few reasons for that, but the most obvious is that F1 races are currently on ESPN, which is available to millions of people who either get it through their cable bundle or who subscribe to the Disney+ bundle. The sport has exploded in popularity in the U.S., largely thanks to Drive to Survive and the fact that it’s pretty easy to get ESPN. I can’t imagine Formula 1 wanted to cut off that much distribution by locking it all inside an Apple TV subscription.
Apple’s decision to make some of it free solves that. It keeps casual fans in the loop while offering something ESPN never could—a fully integrated experience that spans Apple devices and services.
And it gives F1 something just as valuable: reach. The free sessions will show up in the Apple TV app, which is already installed on millions of devices. That keeps F1 visible even to people who weren’t looking for it.
This deal isn’t structured like Apple’s MLS package, which is a separate subscription. This time, Apple made Formula 1 part of its base Apple TV service and sprinkled in free access for everyone else.
It’s also worth noting that this is Apple’s first move that looks more like ESPN than Netflix. It’s the company’s biggest step yet toward becoming a full-fledged sports network, but one built entirely around Apple’s ecosystem. Formula 1 won’t just live on Apple TV—it’ll show up in Apple News, Maps, Music, Fitness+, and the new Apple Sports app, which will feature real-time leaderboards, standings, and widgets for your iPhone’s home screen. Even F1’s own streaming service, F1 TV Premium, will stay alive and become free for subscribers.
What looked like a sports-rights announcement is really a play for attention. Apple isn’t trying to own sports—it’s trying to own how people experience them. By making part of Formula 1 free, Apple gets the best of both worlds: expanded reach for the sport, and added value for its customers.
The company knows that in an era where everything is behind a paywall, the smartest way to sell exclusivity might be to give a little of it away. And when you think about it that way, the free part of Apple’s F1 deal isn’t surprising at all. It’s inevitable.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Jane Tranter, the executive producer of Doctor Who, has bristled at the suggestion that the iconic sci-fi series is “as dead as we’ve ever known it.”
The claim was made by Robert Shearman, who wrote Christopher Eccleston episode Dalek in 2005 and has penned several Doctor Who novels. Commenting in Doctor Who Magazine, he argued that Season 15’s ambiguous ending, when Ncuti Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, had “put a full stop on things” in a way previous season finales have avoided.
The remarks also captured a mood of uncertainty around Doctor Who, with many unanswered questions over whether Disney will continue to co-produce the series, and if Russell T Davies and Tranter’s Bad Wolf will remain involved in the BBC Studios-owned show.
Tranter mounted a spirited defense of the Time Lord when confronted with Shearman’s quote. “‘As dead as we’ve ever known.’ That’s really rude, actually. And really untrue,” Tranter said during an interview with BBC Radio Wales on Friday.
“The plans for Doctor Who are really simply this: the BBC and BBC Studios had a partnership with Disney+ for 26 episodes. We are currently 21 episodes down into that 26-episode run. We have got another five episodes of [spin-off series] The War Between The Land And The Sea to come. At some point after that, decisions will be made together with all of us about what the future of Doctor Who entails,” Tranter said in the interview, marking the 10th anniversary of Bad Wolf.
“It’s a 60-year-old franchise. It’s been going for 20 years nonstop since we brought it back in 2005 [when I worked at the BBC]. You would expect it to change, wouldn’t you? Nothing continues the same always, or it shouldn’t continue the same always. So it will change in some form or another. But the one thing we can all be really clear of is that the Doctor will be back and everyone, including me, including all of us, just has to wait patiently to see when — and who.”
Tranter’s comments echo those of BBC content chief Kate Phillips, who told the Edinburgh TV Festival in August: “Rest assured, Doctor Who is going nowhere. Disney has been a great partnership — and it continues with The War Between The Land And The Sea next year — but going forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC … The Tardis is going nowhere.”
Despite the confidence in Doctor Who’s future, Season 15’s seven-day ratings did suffer. The season averaged 3.2M viewers over its eight episodes, which was half a million viewers down from Gatwa’s first season, and 1.7M below Jodie Whittaker’s final outing as the Time Lord.
A new image promoting Toy Story 5 has now been released and shares the first look at Buzz and Woody in the upcoming film. View it below, via The Disney Beat on Twitter.
What else do we know about Toy Story 5?
“The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, and this time around, it’s Toy meets Tech,” the official synopsis reads. “Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all-new threat to playtime.”
Pixar’s Pete Docter further told People about the plot, “If you remember from Toy Story 4, Woody has left the kids’ rooms for a life of adventure…helping lost toys in need. Sheriff Jessie is now in charge of Bonnie’s room, with the recently deputized Buzz as assistant deputy. And the rest of the toy crew is still around with their same sassy attitudes, like Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and Mr. Potato Head. But Bonnie is now 8, and she’s become more concerned about being socially connected and making friends, which is why her parents agreed to get her this Lily Pad. It’s a new tech tablet that allows Bonnie to chat with her friends and play games and other things, too. But Lily can also be a bit sneaky and prickly to be around — because in her mind, it’s a lot better to be socialized, and Bonnie needs to move on from toys.”
The film is co-directed by McKenna Harris, while Jessica Choi serves as a producer.
In addition to Allen and Hanks, the voice cast of Toy Story 5 includes Joan Cusack as Jessie, Ernie Hudson as Combat Carl, Tony Hale as Forky, Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants, and more.
Toy Story 5 will be released on June 19, 2026, from Disney and Pixar.
