Hours before Monday Night Football between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers airs on ESPN and ABC, DirecTV and Disney are still working to resolve a contract dispute.
DirecTV users lose access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels due to contract dispute
DirecTV and Disney were unable to reach an agreement over the weekend, after which Disney removed channels from the platform.
Scripps News
Due to the ongoing legal battle between DirecTV and Disney, millions of football fans may not be able to watch the New York Jets play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast.
DirecTV, which had 11 million subscribers at the end of 2023, is entering the second week in which ESPN, ABC, the Disney Channel, FX and other Disney-owned networks and channels are unavailable to its customers. The blocking of the channels is due to the cable service’s five-year contract with Disney, which ends on September 1.
On Saturday evening, DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith.
“DirecTV and Disney have been at an impasse for a week now,” says the complaint, obtained by USA TODAY. “Millions of Americans have already missed the first college football games and may miss the first Monday Night Football game as well.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the ongoing disagreement between DirecTV and Disney and how long it might take to reach an amicable resolution.
Disney is working to restore content “as quickly as possible”
A Disney spokesperson emailed USA TODAY on Monday saying, “We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible.”
“We call on DirecTV to stop creating distractions and instead put its customers first by entering into a deal that allows their subscribers to watch our strong upcoming lineup of sports, news and entertainment programming, starting with the return of Monday Night Football,” the statement continued.
As of Monday afternoon, Monday Night Football will no longer be available to watch due to the back-and-forth, but a DirecTV spokesperson said its subscribers will be able to watch the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday. C-SPAN, the other major networks besides ABC, and several national news and commentary channels will simulcast ABC News’ coverage of the debate, the spokesperson said.
Why are contract negotiations between DirecTV and Disney stalled?
Negotiations on a new contract have stalled because Disney is demanding a “fat package” from DirecTV that includes “less attractive Disney programming.” This would allow Disney to offer cheaper and “stripped down” packages with the programs consumers want, according to the complaint filed with the FCC.
To prevent DirecTV from taking legal action against Disney over its “anti-competitive demands,” the media company insisted that the cable provider agree to a “clean slate” clause and an agreement not to sue, the lawsuit says.
Disney had wanted to sell its “stripped-down packages” through a planned joint venture called “Venu,” but a federal judge in New York stopped its launch on the grounds that it could potentially “hurt the wallets of sports-loving consumers by making them pay for non-sports channels they don’t want,” according to the lawsuit, which quotes the federal judge.
In response to DirecTV’s allegations, Disney released a statement on September 4, saying, “DirecTV continues to misrepresent the facts surrounding our ongoing negotiations.”“
“Our priority is to reach a marketplace agreement that meets the needs of DirecTV and its customers while recognizing the value of our high-quality content and the significant investment required to create and acquire it,” the statement continued. “We believe there is a path to a fair and flexible agreement that strikes this critical balance and works for all parties, especially the consumer.”
Disney provided DirecTV with several options
Citing Nielsen, a Disney spokesperson told USA TODAY that the company’s “portfolio is undeniable, as last year more than 90% of DirecTV households watched the company’s linear programming each month – the highest-performing on their platform.”
During negotiations, Disney proposed various packages that would meet DirecTV’s stated needs, provide customers with “more choice and control” and give the cable service the ability to distribute Disney content in the future, the spokesperson said. Options discussed included:
- Sports-oriented option with the ESPN networks and ABC
- Entertainment-based option with the Disney Entertainment Networks
- Linear offerings paired with Disney’s direct-to-consumer subscription services
“Disney charges prices that are consistent with other distributors in the market and reflect the value of Disney content,” the spokesman said.
Disney also said it has provided DirecTV with several options to connect their platforms to its direct-to-consumer streaming services.
When will DirecTV and Disney reach a deal?
It’s unclear when DirecTV and Disney will agree on terms, but both sides are continuing to work toward a deal.
DirecTV CFO Ray Carpenter told analysts on a Sept. 3 conference call that DirecTV had asked Disney to allow viewers to watch Sunday night’s USC-LSU football game, but instead “maintained a hostile attitude toward our customers” and demanded the blocking.
Despite the dispute, DirecTV said it “hopes to reach a reasonable resolution with Disney,” according to the cable provider’s complaint.
DirecTV Disney lockout: How can subscribers watch ESPN and other sports channels?
Subscribers who want to watch upcoming college football and NFL games on ESPN and its networks have several options, including:
- ESPN+: You can subscribe to the streaming service for $10.99 monthly as a standalone subscription, but ESPN+ does not have access to all ESPN channels or those channels’ schedule, according to its website. However, the New York Jets’ game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 9 and the ManningCast will be available on ESPN+. You can also subscribe to ESPN+ as part of a Disney bundle of services, including Disney+ and Hulu, starting at $14.99 monthly. (Watch ESPN+ Now)
- Fubo: This streaming service, which includes ESPN and local channels including ABC (where available), offers a seven-day free trial. After that, it costs $49.99 for the first month and $79.99 per month after that. This basic Pro plan gets you at least 185 live channels, including ESPN2, ACC Network Disney, Disney JR., Disney XD, Freeform FX, FXX, and National Geographic. The Elite package with Sports Plus ($69.99 the first month; $99.99 monthly after that) gets you ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, and NFL RedZone. (Watch Fubo with a seven-day FREE trial)
- Hulu + Live TV: This Disney-owned streaming service offers a three-day trial and starts at $76.99 monthly for more than 95 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ACC Network, SEC Network, Disney, Disney JR., Disney XD, Freeform FX, FXX, FX Movies, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild. The $76.99 plan also gets you Disney+ (with ads) and ESPN+ (with ads). You also get access to the Hulu streaming service, which offers original programming like Only Murders in the Building. You can pay more to avoid ads and get additional channels like NFL RedZone.
- Sling TV: Sling Orange (no free trial, $15 first month, then $40 monthly) has 35 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3, Disney Channel, and Freeform. But sports fans will probably want to add Sling Blue and the Sports Extra package ($45 first month, then $70 monthly), which gets you up to 74 channels, including ACC Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, the SEC Network, NFL RedZone, and local Fox and NBC networks (where available). (Check out Sling TV now)
- YouTube TV: The streaming service is currently offering a “3-week free trial” deal on its website, after which the basic YouTube TV plan costs $64.99 per month for the first four months. In the fifth month, the price increases to $72.99. YouTube TV has more than 100 channels, including the banned ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XC, FX, FXM, FXX, Freeform, ACC Network, SEC Network, National Geographic, and National Geographic Wild (plus local ABC channels, which are also banned in 9 cities).
- Digital antennas: Getting ESPN+ or the Disney package isn’t a panacea, as the app doesn’t stream every event on ESPN’s lineup, Ross Benes, senior TV and streaming analyst at eMarketer, told USA TODAY. However, with a digital antenna, you can get ABC and other major networks on your digital TV for free. However, he said, “not only do you have to buy the antenna, you have to put it near a window or outside, point it toward the station, hope you’re in range of the signal and hope there’s nothing blocking your broadcast.”
