Kirk Herbstreit Criticizes DirecTV Amid Disney Networks Blackouts

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit took a jab at DirecTV amid the provider’s ongoing standoff with the cable network’s parent company, Walt Disney Co.

“Knew @YouTubeTV would pay off,” the football analyst wrote on X, alluding to the fact he wouldn’t miss any ESPN or ABC action amid the blackout. “Good call to my 4 boys.”

Walt Disney Co. networks, which include ESPN and ABC stations, were removed from DirecTV after failed negotiations between the satellite company and the media giant on Sunday. This blackout is affecting approximately 11 million customer homes.

To make matters worse for DirecTV subscribers, the blackout commenced right before USC’s highly anticipated victory over LSU on Sunday night. Additionally, the NFL season is about to kick off this week, and ESPN is covering the US Open happening in Queens, New York.

In the fallout, both DirecTV and ESPN have pointed fingers, blaming each other for the predicament.

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, along with Disney executives Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, issued a statement accusing DirectTV of denying millions of subscribers access to their content just before the final week of the US Open and the start of college football and the NFL season.

In response, DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun criticized Disney, saying, “The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system.”

DirecTV’s press release also accused Disney of adopting an “anti-consumer approach” by forcing TV distributors to pay for channels that their subscribers do not watch.

Other popular broadcasts that could be impacted include ESPN’s Monday Night Football, which debuts on September 9 with a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets. ABC affiliates directly owned by Disney have also been pulled from DirecTV, which means viewers could miss out on local news, favorite game shows like “Wheel of Fortune,” and talk shows such as “Good Morning America” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

From left, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, and Kirk Herbstreit talk on ESPN College Gameday

A similar dispute between Disney and Spectrum TV led to a 12-day blackout in 2023, but it’s unclear how long this blackout with DirecTV might last.

Fans on social media were divided over whom to hold responsible.

“@DIRECTV Fix it now or you’re losing a long-time customer,” one user wrote on X. “Sports is all I watch. Missing my Braves game on my holiday weekend.”

Another fan added, “Yup I’ll be canceling my @DIRECTV asap.”

Yet another segment of fans blamed Disney for the disruption.

“This keeps happening with Disney channels,” wrote one critic. “That’s why I’m disappointed every time ESPN gets extensions on the playoffs.”

Pay-TV services continue to face challenges with subscriber cancellations. The industry lost 2.4 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2024.

Disney is renowned for charging distributors $10 per subscriber per month for ESPN’s array of networks, revenue that the media giant utilizes to purchase league media rights.