The dispute has left many viewers without access to their favorite sports and shows, and both companies have urged each other to resolve the disagreement quickly to restore service to subscribers. For more details, you can check the articles on Fox Business, Engadget, and The Wrap.
On the other hand, Disney stated that it is committed to providing high-quality entertainment and sports programming and that it offered DirecTV flexibility similar to deals with other distributors. Disney claims that DirecTV chose to deny access to its content, which they argue undervalues their portfolio of channels Fox Business and TheWrap
On Sunday, Disney and DirecTV’s ongoing carriage dispute escalated, leading to all Disney-owned networks being removed from DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services. Such disputes often involve both parties blaming each other — with providers accusing networks of being greedy and networks accusing providers of being cheap.
Disney networks go dark on DirecTV amid ongoing feud https://t.co/gsoLInURsa
— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) September 2, 2024
However, this particular conflict took an unusual turn. Sports business reporter Daniel Kaplan highlighted a statement from DirecTV that included an unexpected twist regarding recent litigation. DirecTV claims Disney made last-minute demands for DirecTV to waive all claims that Disney’s behavior was anti-competitive as a condition for any licensing agreement or continued access to Disney programming. DirecTV also said that Disney insisted that any future legal disputes from their licensing agreements be settled in California, not New York, because Disney’s legal team believed that the New York judge “didn’t understand the issues” when issuing a preliminary injunction against Disney’s proposed Venu Sports venture.
As I recall ATT / DTV pulls this same BS stunt at beginning of each football season! Go Comcast or someone else, IMO.
ESPN networks, ABC and Disney channels go dark on DirecTV on a busy night for sports https://t.co/l7JyDIWiRB— David (@DavidKa33559198) September 2, 2024
The dispute has affected all DirecTV customers, including those using DirecTV’s traditional satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse. This comes exactly one year after a similar disagreement between Disney and Charter Communications, which saw Disney-owned content removed from that service for a significant period. Interestingly, this standoff is happening just as the new season of Monday Night Football is about to begin, featuring the 49ers against the Jets.
Key Points:
i. Disney-owned networks were removed from all DirecTV services due to a carriage dispute, impacting satellite, streaming, and U-verse customers.
ii. DirecTV alleges Disney demanded a waiver of claims against potential anti-competitive behavior as a condition for any new licensing agreement.
iii. Disney reportedly insisted that any future disputes be handled in California, not New York, citing dissatisfaction with a New York judge’s ruling.
iv. The dispute is reminiscent of a similar conflict between Disney and Charter Communications last year, which also involved removing Disney content just before the NFL season started.
v. The timing of this dispute coincides with the upcoming start of the 2024 Monday Night Football season, raising concerns among sports fans.
RM Tomi – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News