Some suggested ESPN's feud with YouTube TV was driven by an old-school greed playbook, but the truth is a little more complicated.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Pat McAfee addressed the situation and had a message for some his big-name coworkers who have shared videos on social media talking about the dispute and how fans can go to a website so they "don't miss any" action.

As the standoff continues, ESPN sent a subtle message to anyone looking for the "Monday Night Football" game - like YouTube TV customers. In nearly every tweet from the ESPN account on Monday night, the network included the message "Watch Cardinals-Cowboys on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App" at the bottom.

Streaming viewers are caught in the middle of a contract battle that will feel very familiar to anyone who remembers linear TV.

The release makes no mention of the comparison to last year's Week 9 audience. And for good reason. Even without the Nielsen Big Data + Panel bump, Bucs-Chiefs in Week 9 2024 averaged 20.6 million. That makes this year's Week 9audience a 21.4-percent reduction from Week 9 a year ago.

Sports fans have been hurt by the standoff between Disney and YouTube TV, but they're partially responsible for this blackout.

The YouTube TV (Google) vs. ESPN (Disney) standoff is affecting subscribers but is a harbinger for fans as tech giants get involved in rights deals.