Disney, DirecTV reach deal to restore ESPN, ABC, other networks as college, pro football seasons ramp up
Disney and DirecTV announced on Saturday they had reached a deal to restore its "entire portfolio of networks," including ESPN and ABC, to the satellite provider following a two-week blackout.
The "agreement in principle" comes as the college and pro football seasons are ramping up.
"Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DIRECTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options," a joint statement from both companies said.
"Disney and DIRECTV have a long-standing history of connecting customers 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."
The companies thanked "all the affected viewers for their patience," adding that "Disney’s entire portfolio of networks" would be restored "in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend."
The college football season started at the end of August and, among other things, DirecTV customers weren’t able to watch the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump last Tuesday, which was hosted by ABC, or the U.S. Open tennis, as well as the NFL's "Monday Night Football."
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DirecTV’s 11 million subscribers had had no access to Disney-owned channels since Sept. 1 when licensing renewal talks fell through.
Customers with the satellite provider can now choose more genre-specific packages like sports or family programming to better compete with streaming offerings. Customers can also add Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, Disney’s streaming services, to packages.
DirecTV's chief marketing officer Vince Torres revealed on Thursday that the two-week blackout had made them lose customers.
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Last year, Disney and cable provider Spectrum TV had a similar dispute in which ESPN, ABC, the Disney Channel and other networks were restored, but Spectrum customers lost others like Freeform, FXX and FXM. Spectrum now offers ESPN+ and Disney+ for free for some packages.
Reuters contributed to this report.