Disney is once again embroiled in a significant TV carriage conflict, leading to its channels being inaccessible to millions of viewers across the United States. This time, the dispute is with satellite TV giant DirecTV, resulting in popular Disney-owned channels like ABC and ESPN going dark for DirecTV subscribers.
The blackout occurred just before the highly anticipated LSU-USC college football game and in the midst of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, with the NFL season set to begin in just a week. This timing has left many sports fans frustrated and without access to key events.
Disney's Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment, along with Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, issued a joint statement addressing the situation. They expressed their disappointment, stating, “DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the U.S. 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. 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.”
This isn't the first time Disney has faced such an issue. Just a year ago, Disney channels went dark for two weeks for Charter Spectrum subscribers during a heated negotiation. That dispute was ultimately resolved with a deal that provided Charter Spectrum customers with access to Disney+ and ESPN+ at no extra cost, though some Disney cable channels were removed from the lineup as part of the agreement.
DirecTV, which has an estimated 11 million subscribers across its satellite TV and streaming services, is one of the largest TV providers in the U.S., though it lags behind Charter, which has around 13 million subscribers. Despite its size, the impact of this blackout on DirecTV and its customers is significant.
On August 21, DirecTV had signaled its readiness for a tough negotiation by releasing an open letter from CEO Thaddeus Thun, titled “A Brighter TV Future.” In the letter, Thun advocated for more flexible, genre-based programming packages, such as those focused on news, family, or sports. Although the letter did not directly mention Disney, it was clearly a prelude to the current standoff.
Disney's president of distribution, Justin Connolly, countered Thun's narrative in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Connolly stated, “I think, or I know, that they are trying to spin and push this narrative that they want to explore more flexible, skinnier bundles and that we refuse to engage on that. The bottom line: That is blatantly false. We've been negotiating with them for weeks, and we proposed a variety of flexible options … but yet they haven't engaged with us on the options.”
Connolly further criticized DirecTV's approach, stating that their proposals lack the specificity needed for practical execution, adding to the challenges of reaching an agreement.
As the dispute continues, DirecTV customers remain without access to key Disney channels, leaving both companies under pressure to resolve the situation quickly.
