ESPN, Disney release scathing rebuke of DirecTV's misrepresentation of ongoing dispute

ESPN through The Walt Disney Company has released a statement regarding their ongoing carriage dispute with DirecTV.

DirecTV customers have been without The Walt Disney Company’s content since Sunday evening, including ESPN’s various networks, ABC and FX. The statement, which is from co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, as well as chairman of ESPN Jimmy Pitaro, is a scathing rebuke of DirecTV’s representation of the conflict.

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A new statement regarding The Walt Disney Company's ongoing dispute with DirecTV

For more information & alternate ways to access ESPN content, fans can go to https://t.co/UiFbNTPINo

More: https://t.co/HXJI1LNiIe pic.twitter.com/8wnppshuWh

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) September 4, 2024

“DirecTV continues to misrepresent the facts around our ongoing negotiations,” the statement read. “Our priority is to reach a marketplace deal that serves the needs of DirecTV and their customers while also recognizing the value of our top-quality content and the significant investment required to create and acquire it.

“We believe there is a path to a fair and flexible agreement that strikes this critical balance and works for all sides, especially the consumer.”

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Evidently, ESPN’s response seems to be due to DirecTV sending a letter to the commissioners of the power conferences in college football seeking their help with the dispute, as Ross Dellenger shared one that was sent to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on social media Tuesday.

In their on-going dispute with Disney/ESPN, DIRECTV sent a letter to commissioners of the power conferences seeking their help. Here’s the one that went to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey pic.twitter.com/el4cSajaF2

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 3, 2024

“Disney’s unwillingness to evolve will significantly accelerate the decline of Pay TV, making it harder and more expensive for your fans to watch the teams they love,” part of the letter to Sankey read, per Dellenger. “We can smoothly transition to a new service model to give consumers more choice, control, and value to complement Disney and other programmers’ streaming offerings, delivering a new solution where everyone wins.

“We’re asking you to please work with your Chancellors and Presidents, and your elected officials to empower fans and push for flexibility in the marketplace. This will help guarantee the public, whose taxes and tuitions help pay for the public universities in your conference, access to the content they love and deserve.”

If DirecTV and Disney aren’t able to come to an agreement soon, fans will miss out on some major college football action this weekend, including watching Alabama and Tennessee in action, as well as the debut of Monday Night Football for the NFL, which features two huge markets in the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.

Time will tell if they can come to an agreement before then, or if DirecTV customers will be left looking for another way to catch this week’s top games on Disney’s family of networks.