After a tense standoff between Disney and DirecTV, the two media giants have finally reached a truce. In an announcement made on September 14th, the companies revealed that they have come to a preliminary agreement that will see the restoration of popular channels such as ESPN, ABC, FX, Disney Channel, and others to the DirecTV lineup following a nearly two-week blackout.
The new deal ensures that DirecTV will continue to carry Disney’s wide array of entertainment, sports, and news channels, including owned ABC TV stations, ESPN networks, Disney-branded channels, Freeform, FX networks, and National Geographic channels. This agreement comes just in time for a full day of college football on ABC and ESPN, as well as the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards scheduled to air on ABC the following day.
DirecTV customers can expect the return of Disney’s “full linear suite of networks” on satellite, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse platforms, as the two companies work towards finalizing a new multiyear contract. Additionally, DirecTV will have the rights to offer genre-specific options such as sports, entertainment, and kids and family programming, inclusive of Disney’s linear networks, Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
As part of the agreement, DirecTV will also bundle Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ with select DirecTV packages under a wholesale agreement, giving customers more flexibility in tailoring their video experience. Moreover, DirecTV will offer Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service at no additional cost when it launches in 2025.
In a joint statement, both companies expressed their appreciation for their customers’ patience and stated that the new agreement reflects their commitment to providing the best entertainment options to viewers. The resolution comes after weeks of negotiations that left more than 11 million DirecTV customers without access to popular sports programming on ESPN and ABC, including college football, the U.S. Open, and the NFL’s Monday Night Football.
Carriage disputes like the one between Disney and DirecTV have been a common occurrence in the pay-TV industry, with rising costs and cord-cutting exacerbating the situation. DirecTV’s Chief Marketing Officer, Vince Torres, acknowledged that the company had lost a significant number of customers during the blackout, further complicating the situation.
Despite the challenges, both Disney and DirecTV have expressed their commitment to providing quality content to viewers and adapting to the changing preferences of consumers. The resolution of this dispute comes as a relief to customers who were left in the dark during the blackout, and hopefully paves the way for a more cooperative relationship between the two media giants in the future.
