Disney, DirecTV settle dispute, restoring NFL, college football and more to 11+ million subscribers
DirecTV and Disney settled their dispute that has raged on since September 1 after the satellite TV provider chose to take off channels like ESPN and ABC, which affected people's ability to watch Monday Night Football games, college football, and US Open Tennis, among other sporting events.
The war of words and legal threats between DirecTV and Disney got particularly vicious last week after the former filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission alleging that Disney was not negotiating in good faith. The continuing dispute led to DirecTV subscribers missing the first Monday Night Football match between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets.
The dispute got so out of hand that the TV provider was willing to partner with Sling, which is owned by their competitor Dish Network, and FuboTV to ensure that their subscribers could sign up elsewhere to watch the game instead of continuing any negotiations with Disney. But it seems like both parties realized that there is much to be gained from burying the hatchet.
In a statement by both companies, they called their latest deal and first-of-its-kind collaboration and talked about giving customers multiple options,
“Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DIRECTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options. DIRECTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DIRECTV’s customers."
DirecTV and Disney also acknowledged the patience of their viewers and what they have missed out on due to this saga but promised that college football and Emmy Awards over the weekend would not be affected, concluding
"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.”
What's included in the agreement between DirecTV and Disney?
After the dispute was resolved, the TV provider committed to providing access to "ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks, and the National Geographic channels." They also said that Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will be included in select packages for consumers and there will be more genre-specific options.
It also confirmed that when ESPN's flagship direct-to-consumer service is launched, it will be made available without extra cost to customers.