In the battle of Google vs. Disney, one side has an arsenal that the other does not.
Disney has stars who can push its message to the masses. Via Matt Yoder of AwfulAnnouncing.com, Disney has been doing just that with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Mike Greenberg, and Scott Van Pelt.
Each has taken to social media with nearly identical messages that push the company line: You could lose access to live sports, and you should visit KeepMyNetworks.com to learn more.
KeepMyNetworks.com has at the top of the page various options for complaining directly to YouTube about the outage. Next comes a link to other TV providers, following by predictable Disney talking points.
It’s a fine line for the involved celebrities. They have a clear self-interest in maximizing the audience that can consume their content. They also feel a duty to be good soldiers to the corporate cause, regardless of whether their contracts require the extra work.
The risk, of course, comes from the possible erosion of their personal brands, if they are perceived as being shills in a battle of billion-dollar corporations that turn loyal customers into pawns.
As noted by Yoder, the same tactic was deployed last year with the same three ESPN employees, when Disney battled with DirecTV.
The broader reality is that people are justifiably pissed off at the entire ordeal. College football is happening, and YouTube TV customers can’t easily watch games on the various ESPN channels.
Who’s fault is it? As Google blames Disney and Disney blames Google, the average person blames everyone. As they should.
If you haven’t noticed, there’s currently enough real shit going on. Sports are the escape, the rare unifier of a divided populace.
As to any two companies who can’t work together to preserve that diversion, the right answer is simple: You’re both going to hell.
