Credit: Marques Kaspbrak, UnsplashThe conflict between Disney and DirecTV has officially come to an end.
On Sunday, September 1, DirecTV subscribers faced a major disruption as approximately 11.3 million households discovered that several key channels had vanished from their TV lineups. Channels such as the Disney Channel, ABC, and ESPN were suddenly inaccessible as the agreement between Disney and DirecTV came to an end after months of unsuccessful negotiations.
As Disney and DirecTV failed to agree on a new deal, DirecTV customers missed out on significant sports programming, including college football, the U.S. Open, and Monday Night Football‘s game between the Jets and 49ers.
What followed was a lot of catty back and forth between the two companies.
DirecTV claimed that Disney was trying to force it to give up legal protections in order to carry its channels, claiming that it was “once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system. Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world where we believe you earn your way and must answer for your own actions. They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers – making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price.”
The Presidential Debate added another layer to the conflict. The Walt Disney Company reportedly offered to allow DirecTV subscribers to watch the debate via ABC News as a temporary truce. However, DirecTV rejected the idea, explaining in a statement to Inside the Magic that it would “cause customer confusion among those who would briefly see the debate only to lose the channel again shortly after.”
Compounding the frustration, DirecTV announced a price increase set to take effect on October 6, further angering customers who felt they were not getting the value they had paid for.
However, this value seems no longer in question, as Disney and DirecTV have finally reached a deal to end their blackout drama. The two companies have announced a preliminary agreement to reinstate ESPN, ABC, FX, Disney Channel, and other Disney networks to DirecTV’s lineup.
The deal was announced earlier today (September 14). As per the terms, DirecTV will retain Disney’s full suite of channels, including ABC TV stations, Disney-branded channels, Freeform, FX networks, National Geographic, and ESPN networks – just in time for a full day of college football on ABC and ESPN, and the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air on ABC on September 15.
DirecTV confirmed that Disney’s networks are being restored to satellite, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse “while both parties work to finalize a new, multiyear contract” (via Variety).
The new agreement allows DirecTV to offer a broad range of Disney content, including linear networks across sports, entertainment, and family genres, as well as Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. DirecTV will bundle these streaming services with select packages and offer them à la carte.
Additionally, DirecTV will distribute Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service, set to launch in 2025, at no extra cost to its customers.
How do you feel about the recent debacle between Disney and DirecTV?