Disney and DirecTV Reach Agreement to Restore ABC, ESPN, and More

On September 14, DirecTV announced the restoration of Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC, following an agreement reached just under two weeks after service was disrupted. The channels had been unavailable due to a contract dispute that began on September 1, affecting over 11 million subscribers.

The companies made their joint announcement on Saturday morning, coinciding with the start of college football games. DirecTV stated, “DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company today announced an agreement in principle that provides greater choice, value, and flexibility to their mutual customers.” As part of this agreement, Disney’s complete array of networks has been reinstated for DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse customers while a long-term deal is finalized.

The channels were halted after DirecTV ceased airing Disney-owned content, which included prominent networks such as ESPN and various local ABC affiliates. During this interruption, subscribers were unable to view significant sporting events, such as the U.S. Open tennis matches, as well as local and national news broadcasts provided by ABC.

The joint statement from both companies expressed gratitude to affected viewers, noting, “We’d like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.”

As part of the new distribution deal, customers can also expect new streaming packages featuring Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Additionally, DirecTV will have the ability to distribute the upcoming ESPN standalone streaming service at no extra cost to its subscribers.

In order to maintain customer loyalty during the disruption, DirecTV initiated temporary agreements with its competitors, Sling and Fubo. These arrangements aimed to provide credits and discounts to customers who sought alternative viewing options to watch the ongoing games. Furthermore, a $20 credit was offered to subscribers as compensation for the service interruption.

During the dispute, subscribers on DirecTV, including those using internet-based U-verse services, lost access to ESPN and its affiliated networks, such as ACC Network, SEC Network, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Deportes. ESPN also broadcasts Major League Baseball games and Monday Night NFL games, which were affected by the blackout.

Other blocked Disney channels included Freeform, FX, FXX, FX Movie Channel, National Geographic, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD. ABC local affiliates in major markets such as Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Raleigh, North Carolina, were also unavailable during this period.

Along with DirecTV Stream customers, those in satellite coverage areas faced the same interruptions to their viewing experience. This blackout meant that local and national news coverage, alongside various programming, was inaccessible for viewers. While the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris occurred during this period and was broadcast on ABC, it was simulcast on other non-Disney networks.

As part of the agreement reached, ABC is scheduled to air the Emmy Awards on the upcoming Sunday, providing another major event returning to DirecTV customers in a timely fashion following the resolution of the dispute.