ESPN encountered backlash after releasing Monday Night Football audience data amid a streaming conflict with YouTube TV, prompting commentary from X\u2019s community notes team.<\/p>\n
The post, which came from ESPN\u2019s Public Relations account, highlighted the network\u2019s 16.2 million viewers for Monday night\u2019s broadcast of the standalone game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n
The post slanted the viewership number as the \u201csecond-highest MNF Week 9 audience since 2011,\u201d adding that the average of \u201c15.2 million viewers per game\u201d on MNF is the second-best start to a season in 20 years.<\/p>\n
Why the post was flagged by community notes<\/b><\/p>\n
The post was panned as somewhat insensitive by football fans, who argued it was in poor taste to flex viewership numbers while a large portion of the streaming audience was being kept in the dark. Additionally, X\u2019s community notes team viewed the post as misleading.<\/p>\n
The community note cited an article from NBC Sports\u2019 Pro Football Talk writer Mike Florio,<\/a> reporting the data points with what was deemed a fuller, more complete analysis.<\/p>\n X argued that ESPN\u2019s post omitted important context. While the \u201c16.2 million\u201d figure looks impressive on its face, MNF viewership was actually down roughly 21% from its 20.6 million viewers during last year\u2019s Week 9 broadcasts. X noted that omitting this context made the post misleading.<\/p>\n X\u2019s community notes feature has been around since before its rebrand from Twitter. It was rebranded and rolled out as a global feature in 2022, after Musk\u2019s purchase and takeover of the site.<\/p>\n Under Musk\u2019s ownership, community notes has expanded to include context notes on videos as well as posts containing information deemed manipulative.<\/p>\n What the controversy is all about<\/b><\/p>\n This post is among the latest developments in a public dispute between ESPN (and its parent company, The Walt Disney Company) and YouTube TV (owned by Google LLC).<\/p>\n The situation started last week, when YouTube TV subscribers were barred from accessing a large number of Disney-affiliated channels, including ESPN, ABC, and FX. <\/p>\n Members, when we renew our contracts with network partners, we advocate for fair pricing to offer you the best TV experience. Our contract with Disney has reached its renewal date, and we’ll not agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney\u2019s TV products.<\/p>\n \u2014 YouTube TV (@YouTubeTV) October 31, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n ESPN and YouTube TV each released statements blaming each other for the blackouts. <\/p>\n The Walt Disney Company accused YouTube TV<\/a> of attempting to \u201cstrong-arm Disney into a deal that ignores market rates, industry standards, and Disney\u2019s repeated proposals of flexible and innovative deals that would not only benefit both sides, but \u2014 most importantly \u2014 millions of consumers.”<\/p>\n YouTube TV said <\/a>it would \u201cnot agree to terms that disadvantage our members while benefiting Disney\u2019s own live TV products.\u201d<\/p>\n The situation impacted millions of sports fans, as live sports coverage is one of the primary draws for many YouTube TV subscribers. The service\u2019s channel offerings and customizable multi-view feature (that allows you to watch up to four games at once) have made the application a popular option for streaming sports.<\/p>\n In the week since the dispute, ESPN\u2019s personalities have stood in Disney\u2019s corner. On-air personalities encouraged YouTube TV customers to go to a website called KeepMyNetworks.com<\/a>, a site supporting Disney by encouraging fans to \u201cContact YouTube TV and let them know you want your favorite networks back.\u201d<\/p>\n Southeastern Conference (SEC) Commissioner Greg Sankey also posted that he moved over to Hulu, a streaming service operated by Disney as part of its steaming portfolio.<\/p>\n While Sankey\u2019s connection to the situation might seem harder to place than an ESPN on-air talent, it\u2019s worth noting that the SEC Network is majority-owned by Disney, and the social\u2011media post did not clearly indicate it was a promotional endorsement, which some critics view as a potential conflict of interest.<\/p>\n Posts like these on both sides of the issue have received backlash from sports fans, who see the situation as large corporations trying to push them to pick a side when they just want to continue streaming games in one place without conflict.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear whether or not the sides are any closer to coming to terms on a new deal.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n\n