Disney, DirecTV reach deal ahead of Week 3 of college football
Disney and DirecTV have agreed to a deal ending the ongoing dispute that left nearly 11 million customers without access to college football since Sept. 1.
All channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, ACC Network and ABC will be immediately restored. Nearly 20 games and College GameDay would have been impacted on Saturday if the dispute continued.
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DirecTV said Disney’s “full linear suite of networks” has been restored to satellite, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers “while both parties work to finalize a new, multiyear contract.”
As part of the new deal, DirecTV will distribute ESPN’s flagship direct-to-consumer service when it launches “at no additional cost to DirecTV customers.” DirecTV will also offer “multiple” skinny bundles: sports, entertainment, kids & family, plus Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
“Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DIRECTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options,” the two companies said in a joint statement. “DIRECTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DIRECTV’s customers.”
Agreement reached ahead of college football’s Week 3
This marks the second year a carriage dispute with Disney carried over into college football season. A year ago, the company was in negotiations with Charter-Spectrum into early September. DirecTV, which AT&T Inc. owns, offered customers $20 refunds due to the loss of ESPN and Disney channels.
The news comes after DirecTV filed a complaint against Disney to the Federal Communications Commission last Saturday, accusing the company of negotiating in bad faith.
“DirecTV and Disney have found themselves in an impasse for a week now,” the complaint read according to USA TODAY. “Millions of Americans have already missed early college football games, may well miss the first Monday Night Football game.”
Disney’s channels went dark on Sunday before USC and LSU’s top-25, Week 1 matchup in Las Vegas. DirecTV’s dispute left customers without Monday Night Football and the presidential debate this week. Both those dates had been circled as possible deadlines. Disney had attempted to temporarily allow DirecTV to offer ABC to its customers for the presidential debate, but the provider refused.
DirecTV told the New York Times earlier week that it had made “considerable progress” in its negotiations with Disney on issues including market rates and “the ability to offer smaller, more flexible packages.”