Licensing disagreement forces Disney TV channels, including ESPN, off DirecTV - UPI.com (2024)

Disney's television channels, including ESPN and eight of its local ABC affiliates, remain blocked on DirecTV. Photo by Kentuckyfriedtucker/Wikimedia Commons

DirecTV's 11 million subscribers, including those with Internet-based U-Verse TV, stopped receiving coverage in the middle of tennis' U.S. Open, starting at 7:20 p.m. EDT.

With the college football season underway, subscribers are in jeopardy of not receiving coverage on ESPN networks, including the flagship as well as ACC Network, SEC Network, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes.

ESPN will also be broadcasting the NFL's Week 1 Monday Night Football game between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. That game also will be simulcast on ABC.

ESPN also shows major league baseball games.

Other blocked channels were Freeform, FX, FXX, FX Movie Channel, National Geographic, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD.

ABC local affiliates owned by Disney also aren't now on DirecTV: Los Angeles; the San Francisco Bay Area; Fresno, Calif.; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Houston; and Raleigh, N.C.

Elsewhere in the nation, customers using DirecTV Stream are also blocked. Satellite coverage is available in those markets.

If the ABC coverage is blocked, that means local and national news and other programming, including those supplied by ABC, such as Monday's The Bachelorette, and syndicated shows, are not available. The debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will be broadcast by ABC on Sept. 10 but will be simulcast on other non-Disney networks.

DirecTV customers in ABC-owned markets couldn't receive Sunday's college football game between Louisiana State and Southern California in Las Vegas. And Monday's Florida State game against visiting Boston College also was blacked out in those markets.

ABC service can be received via an antenna. Other channels can be accessed by adding a cable provider such as Comcast; pay services YouTube TV, Sling TV, Fubu; or subscribing to ESPN+ or Hulu +Live TV apps.

On Monday, DirecTV announced customers will receive a $20 monthly credit if they apply. There are separate links for DirecTV, and one for DirecTv Stream and U-Verse.

Both sides are blaming each other for the blackout.

From Disney: "While we're open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we've extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs. We invest significantly to deliver the No. 1 brands in entertainment, news and sports because that's what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what's in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming."

From DirecTV: "The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners and now the American judicial system. Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world where we believe you earn your way and must answer for your own actions. They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers -- making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price."

DirecTV also contends that Disney is seeking to force DirecTV to waive future claims that "Disney's behavior is anti-competitive."

Disney is a heavy provider of content on cable and satellite:

Others are:

Comcast: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Syfy, Oxygen, Bravo, Peaco*ck, Golf Channel, E1, Telemundo.

Fox: Fox News Channel, Fox Business, Fox Nation, Fox Weather, Fox Sports, Fox College Sports, FS1 and FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Sports Racing, Tubi.

Warner Discovery: CNN, HLN, HBO, Max, Cinemax, TBS, TNT, Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, Own, Warner Brothers Animation, truTV.

Paramount: CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Showtime, The Movie Channel, BET, TV Land, Smithsonia, CBS Sports Network.