Hulu + Live TV Subscribers Are Up 60% Since The Charter/Disney Blackout Began
The deadlock between Disney and Charter Communications has now gone on for seven days, and there still doesn’t appear to be a resolution in sight.
As the two sides continue to negotiate a new carriage deal, the clear winner of the standoff has been Disney.


Charter Spectrum
Ever since 26 Disney-owned cable stations went dark last Thursday on Chareter’s Spectrum service, subscribers have clamored for the cable company to reach a deal.
The blackout hit especially hard for sports fans, who have been unable to watch the beginning of the college football season or the ongoing U.S. Open. With the NFL set to kick off on Disney-owned ESPN on Thursday night, that pressure will only intensify.


Photo: ESPN
While Charter has faced backlash from customers, including a class-action lawsuit, Disney is facing minimal pressure by comparison.
Disney Is Benefiting From The Blackout
In fact, according to Disney, their Hulu + Live TV service has seen a 60% increase in subscriptions relative to internal expectations since the impasse began.
As the stalemate with Charter continues, Disney has increased their promotion of Disney + Hulu. In an open letter to Spectrum subscribers, they not only blamed Charter for the blackout, but ended their statement by reminding them that sports are available on Hulu.


Photo: Hulu
The streaming service runs users $70 a month with ads or $82 a month without ads. For Disney, the increased subscriber count is a real boon.
Disney’s ARPU (average revenue per user) for Hulu + Live TV is $91.80. Due to how lucrative advertising is on the streamer, new subscribers are essentially pure profit.


Source: Disney
While a deal between Charter and Disney is inevitable, Disney has no incentive to cave. Charter, on the other hand, needs to get a deal done quickly or things could get a lot uglier.
So, be sure to check back in with MickeyBlog. We will be following this story closely.