ESPN and Disney Entertainment (DIS) channels went off the air on Sunday night. The entertainment conglomerate’s actions angered and disappointed several web fans, many of whom were watching live sports on DirecTV. The move by the giant companies also displeased the US Tennis Association, as the carriage dispute spilled over to an important US Open match that featured an American player, and many web fans were unable to watch the match. College football was also affected as the channels went dark.
ESPN went off the air on DirecTV at 7.20 p.m. EDT on Sunday. This affected the U.S. Open semifinals as it went dark half an hour before the start of a crucial match between American Francis Tiafoe and Australian Alexei Popyrin. It also went off the air less than half an hour before a college football game.
The US Tennis Association released a statement expressing its disappointment that many web fans across the nation were unable to watch some of the greatest tennis athletes participate in the “2024 U.S. Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN” and more.
Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, released a statement in which he said, “The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system. ”
Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro released a joint statement that asks DirecTV to be flexible. The statement also said they “will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs” and more.
CWEB reports that there are many reasons for conflicts in the entertainment industry between distributors and producers, including bundling packages, putting premium programs on direct-to-consumer platforms instead of channels, and others. While the producers and distributors argue and delay agreements, it is the web fans who subscribe to such channels who are affected by this conflict.
In 2023, Disney was in an almost two-week showdown with Spectrum, the second-largest cable TV provider in the US. In 2024, Disney conflicts with DirecTV, the nation’s third largest cable TV provider.
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