Recently, sports fans with DirecTV packages were shocked to find that they lost access to ESPN over the weekend in light of failed negotiations between the cable provider and Walt Disney, who owns ESPN and various other channels. As a result, roughly 11 million DirecTV subscribers no longer have access tho these Disney-owned channels.
In the middle of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the first weekend of college football, millions were denied viewership of their highly anticipated sporting events. Furthermore, the blackout could also impact upcoming events such as the Sept. 10 presidential debate on ABC and the National Football League, which is set to begin its season soon.
Subsequently, fans were outraged when they discovered that they were prevented from watching their favorite sports. One user took to social media, writing, “WTF Directv and ESPN.” They shared a clip of the U.S. Open, which was abruptly interrupted by a black screen that read, “Our contract with Disney, the owner of this channel, has expired. We appreciate your patience as we negotiate to offer you greater flexibility, choice and value.”
“It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 U.S. Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN. We are hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible,” the USTA explained in a statement.
The Walt Disney Company put out a press release addressing the controversy surrounding the contract negotiations with DirecTV. “The start of September kicks off with an eclectic mix of action from the much-anticipated return of the NFL, college football, and the best that tennis has to offer at the US Open, not to mention the Emmy® Awards and Presidential Debate on ABC later this month. Yet, millions of DirecTV customers are left in the dark while ESPN and other Disney-owned channels are blacked out due to DirecTV’s decision to decline a fair, marketplace-based agreement with The Walt Disney Company,” the company said.
Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen, Disney Entertainment, and Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN assigned the blame directly to the cable provider. “DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the US Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season,”the executives said.
The statement from the leaders continued, maintaining their commitment to being flexible in the negotiations with DirecTV. However, they stressed that they would not agree to a contract which would “undervalue” their assets.
“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,” the high-ranking leaders continued.
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