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

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

ESPN is coming under fire for its role in the Disney-YouTube contract dispute, with Barstool’s Dan “Big Cat” Katz slamming the company for its part in the drama, while Pat McAfee has called out his employer over its messaging in the mess that is preventing sports fans from watching ESPN content on YouTube TV.

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

A perk of subscribing to YouTube TV, per Google’s marketing, is the ability to “record it all with unlimited DVR space.” A footnote on the YouTube TV homepage notes that unlimited DVR is subject to “device, regional, and Internet restrictions” but overlooks an additional restriction in the form of multi-conglomerate spats.

ESPN's bitter, drawn-out battle with YouTube TV (or more broadly, Disney's standoff with Google) reared its ugly head earlier this week when millions of YouTube TV subscribers were blacked out of watching ESPN's Cardinals-Cowboys matchup on Monday Night Football.

(Reuters) -YouTube TV has proposed restoring Disney's ABC and ESPN networks, in response to the entertainment giant's earlier request to bring back ABC to the pay-TV platform for Election Day coverage.

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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.

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.