Furious DirecTV customers still in dark for Jets-49ers on ‘MNF’ as dispute with Disney continues
By Ryan Glasspiegel,
2024-09-10
An important milestone has passed in the Cold War between Disney and DirecTV.
As Jets vs. 49ers began on “Monday Night Football” on ESPN and ABC, the networks’ parent company, Disney, has still not come to a carriage agreement with DirecTV.
The dispute includes the ESPN family of networks, FX and Disney’s owned-and-operated ABC affiliates.
While a majority of DirecTV customers in the country can still watch “Monday Night Football” on ABC this week, it is dark in big metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and San Francisco where Disney owns the broadcast affiliates.
DirecTV customers are all unable to use their accounts to stream games airing on ESPN on the network’s app.
The networks have been dark on DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services, as well as U-Verse, since last weekend.
While many sports fans can subscribe to a streaming bundle like YouTube TV, Sling TV or Fubo either by switching entirely or just keeping both until the carriage dispute is over, not everyone can switch so easily.
DirecTV has a big base of commercial customers in bars, restaurants, hotels and gyms, and it is also one of the only TV providers for deep rural residents who don’t have adequate cable connectivity where they live.
In late August, it was clear that the stalemate between the companies could bleed into football season , and that manifested on Sept. 1 when Disney channels went dark and sports fans had to miss the highly anticipated USC-LSU college football clash as well as the US Open.
This past weekend, a full slate of college football action plus the men’s and women’s finals of the US Open were dark.
According to the Wall Street Journal , the crux of the dispute has been how much Disney charges for its bundle of channels, plus “DirecTV’s desire to have more freedom in how it packages and sells Disney’s channels to subscribers,” meaning whether it could for example place ESPN on tiers where non-sports-fans could more easily subscribe to entertainment channels without having to also pay for it.
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I did't need to see the debate ...I've been to the grocery store , the gas station , paid electric bills , insurance , etc for the last 4 years . I know the difference and YOU do too. The debate is over. TRUMP 2024 🇺🇲💯
Mark G
09-10
just switch to youtube t.v. . its cheaper for same channels
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