Months After Being Blacked Out, Charter Spectrum Customers Can Now Get Disney+ For Free
Months after a carriage disagreement that saw all Disney-owned stations blacked out on Spectrum TV, Disney and Charter announced that the ad-supported version of Disney+ is now available for all Spectrum TV Select packages at no additional cost.
To access Disney+, Spectrum subscribers must use an internet-connected streaming device or any other Disney+ supported device.
In addition to Disney+ Basic, Charter plans to introduce complementary access to ESPN+ as part of the Spectrum TV Select Plus video.
The Two Companies Squared Off Last Fall
The standoff between Disney and Charter began last September, just as the college football season was about to kick off.
With the two sides unable to agree on a new carriage deal, Charter eventually blacked out all Disney-owned channels.
During negotiations, Charter argued that Spectrum subscribers should have access to Disney’s direct-to-consumer services for the price they were paying.
“They’re focused on direct-to-consumer businesses as if it was a completely separate business,” Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said. “I don’t think it’s a separate business. You have to take a look at the two together; you have a consolidated set of cash flows.”
Disney, meanwhile, argued that the two businesses are separate.
A Win For Spectrum Customers
Now that the two sides have come together, Charter says it is a win for customers.
“With the launch of the Disney+ Basic offer, TV Select customers can now enjoy access to Disney’s popular streaming content as well as their high-quality linear TV channels, all included as part of one video package,” said Tom Montemagno, EVP of programming acquisition for Charter.
Meanwhile, Disney says they are happy to “meet customers where they are.”
“The new package they say brings the best of both worlds from Disney’s unrivaled entertainment portfolio to Charter’s video customers,” said Justin Connolly, Disney’s president of platform distribution, The Walt Disney Company. “Our goal has always been to meet consumers where they are, and these collective offerings will maximize value for Spectrum TV Select customers while simultaneously broadening the audience of our advertiser-supported streaming services.”