Pat McAfee roasts Kirk Herbstreit over post about ESPN-YouTube TV dispute
By Jake Faigus
Published:
SEC fans have been in the midst of a significant corporate battle unfolding between two titans in the entertainment industry. Disney and YouTube TV are in a stalemate over a new contract, one that would ensure YouTube TV audiences can continue to access Disney content. The people who are getting hurt the most are the consumers, and ESPN’s talent is not making it much better with their messaging.
ESPN is a giant rights holder for college football, and both Disney and ESPN had their talent take to social media last week, posting calls to save the networks on the service. Kirk Herbstreit was among those who issued a call to fans.
Pat McAfee, one of ESPN’s biggest personalities, disliked the move and he roasted Herbstreit on his show on Thursday.
McAfee, to his credit, ripped into the dispute itself and wants it to end.
“We’re all done with it,” McAfee said.
“And also, if you’re on TV, stop telling people to go to a website to save a multi-billion-dollar deal. Nobody cares what you have to say. There will be nothing that we have to say or any website that will be visited. There are, I don’t want to say the exact names, but these people (hands up high), let’s put our swords down. Let’s put our swords down for the good of sports.
“We need each other. A lot of people saying ‘greedy corporations,’ it’s like, yeah. We need each other, especially with where sports are right now. And we’re in the middle of it, so let’s get it done. And stop asking me to go to a website. I don’t want to do that, so stop … all you’re doing is pissing everybody off even more. So it’s like, let’s just not do that.”
The two sides remain at an impasse over a new deal that will be fair for everyone involved, and it does not appear to be slowing down yet.
RELATED: YouTube TV subscribers are still without ESPN’s networks heading into Week 11. Check out what our friends at SlingTV have to offer in the meantime.
