How long will the DirecTV/Disney battle drag on?

The battle between DirecTV and the Walt Disney Co. has left millions of customers without access to Disney channels, and industry analysts are uncertain how long the dispute will last.

The heart of the issue is that Disney insists on bundling its channels, which include ABC and ESPN, while DirecTV wants to offer them a la carte for subscribers. With both sides refusing to budge, DirecTV customers lost access to Disney networks on Sunday night, just minutes before several notable college football games were set to kick off.

Marketing analyst Ross Benish told KNX News’ Pete Demetriou he doesn’t think the blackout will last too long.

“There will be a lot of pressure to get it resolved quickly since it is occurring during football season, which is, you know, the highest rated sports in the United States, and sports is what's keeping the TV bundle together,” he said.

If the dispute does drag on, Benish says customers can tune into fall football by going back to antenna reception for some channels and streaming services for sports.

“I'd go to one of those digital services like YoutubeTV or Hulu Live TV and cancel it once your favorite sports season's over,” he said.

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In the long run, Benish feels that Disney is in a stronger bargaining position than DirecTV, and the service provider may have to accept the bundle concept or risk losing its customers.

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