ABC, ESPN, and Other Disney-Owned Channels Go Dark on DirecTV as Blackout Begins
As feared, The Walt Disney Company and DirecTV could not reach a new carriage agreement before today’s deadline, and all Disney-owned channels have now gone dark on DirecTV services.
The blackout will affect nearly 11 million customers across the United States. For sports fans, the timing was especially painful, as the blackout occurred in the middle of ESPN’s US Open coverage and just minutes before USC and LSU kicked off on ABC.
Photo: ESPN
The Crux of the Impasse
The impasse between Disney and DirectTV seems to center on the kinds of packages that DirectTV customers can choose from and issues surrounding streaming.
“We absolutely have to find our way to offering something smaller and less expensive than what we have today,” Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, wrote last week.
Photo: DIRECTV
While it seemed that the two sides would be able to find a compromise and avert a blackout, time finally ran out.
Disney Blames DirecTV
In response to today’s development, Disney released a blistering statement, blaming DirecTV for the blackout.
Photo: Disney
“DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the US Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season. While we’re open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we’ve extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs,” they said.
The Walt Disney Company
“We invest significantly to deliver the No. 1 brands in entertainment, news and sports because that’s what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what’s in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming.”
How Long Will the Blackout Last?
The last time Disney and a major television carrier could not reach a new agreement, Charter Spectrum customers were blacked out from ABC, ESPN, and other Disney channels for months.
ESPN
Hopefully, DirecTV and Disney will be able to come to an agreement soon.
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