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DirecTV and Disney settle network dispute and restore service after signing new long-term contract
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DirecTV and Disney settle network dispute and restore service after signing new long-term contract

Another long-running network dispute has come to an end: Disney and DirecTV have reached an agreement.

The new long-term deal ends a dispute that left more than 11 million DirecTV subscribers without access to the Disney networks for 13 days. The service was restored on Saturday before the first college football games began.

A press release from Disney sent out Saturday morning outlined some of the terms of the deal, which, according to Puck’s John Ourand, includes the return of Disney-owned channels such as ABC, ESPN, Disney, Freeform, FX and more.

In addition, DirecTV will offer several special “slimline” packages related to Disney networks, including a sports package, an entertainment package, a kids and family package, and the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ package. The ability to create these smaller, genre-specific packages was one of the sticking points that led to the blocking, according to CNBC.

The blackout began on September 1, when the Disney networks shut down DirecTV’s service as contract negotiations fell through. The blackout left DirecTV subscribers unable to watch several major season-opening events, including the U.S. Open, the first two weeks of college football and the first kickoff of the NFL’s Monday Night Football.

The two companies initially couldn’t agree on the terms of the deal, but were able to work things out on Saturday in time for a sports-packed weekend. Disney-affiliated networks (including ABC, ESPN and ESPN+) will broadcast more than 30 college football games on Saturday, with Monday Night Football featuring the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.

Disney had a similar dispute with Charter Spectrum last September, preventing subscribers (and tennis players) from watching events like the US Open, but the issue was resolved after 12 days.

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