"ESPN, ABC, and Disney Channels Blackout on DirecTV During Key Sports Events Amid Carriage Dispute"

On the evening of Sunday, September 1, DirecTV subscribers experienced a blackout of several major Disney Entertainment channels, including ESPN networks and ABC, due to a stalled carriage agreement. This disruption comes at a particularly inconvenient time, affecting coverage of significant events such as the U.S. Open tennis tournament and a crucial college football game.

ESPN went dark on DirecTV at 7:20 p.m. ET, just before the start of a highly anticipated U.S. Open match between Frances Tiafoe and Alexei Popyrin. This blackout occurred on the heels of the college football game between No. 13 LSU and 23rd-ranked Southern California, which also began amid the blackout. Additionally, ABC-owned stations in major cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago were affected.

The U.S. Tennis Association expressed its disappointment, noting that the disruption deprived fans of watching top athletes at the 2024 U.S. Open. The USTA urged for a swift resolution to the dispute to restore access to ESPN programming.

DirecTV and Disney have been unable to finalize a new agreement, leading to this latest dispute. Last year, a similar situation occurred between Disney and Spectrum, the second-largest cable TV provider in the U.S., which was resolved just before the NFL season began.

DirecTV’s chief content officer, Rob Thun, criticized Disney for refusing to accept responsibility and accused the company of prioritizing profit over consumer interests. “Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world,” Thun said, emphasizing the company’s reluctance to address consumer concerns and the impact of its pricing strategies.

Disney, which owns the affected channels including Freeform, FX, and National Geographic, defended its position. In a joint statement, Disney’s co-chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, urged DirecTV to agree to terms that reflect the value of their channels and programming. They stressed that Disney invests heavily in delivering top-tier content and will not settle for terms that undervalue its offerings.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between content creators and distributors over channel bundling and direct-to-consumer services. Distributors like DirecTV are frustrated with the bundling model and the premature release of premium content on streaming platforms, which they believe undermines traditional TV packages.

As this standoff continues, consumers are left to navigate the fallout, with Disney channels and networks remaining inaccessible on DirecTV.