ESPN, ABC, And Disney Channels Go Dark On DirecTV

Disney Entertainment channels went dark on DirecTV Sunday night after the parties were unable to reach a new carriage agreement.

DirecTV stated that Disney offered an extension to keep the channels on the air in exchange for DirecTV having to waive all future legal claims that its behavior is anti-competitive. I Photo: DirecTV

The move angered some sports fans, who posted their displeasure on social media. The US Tennis Association (USTA) also expressed its dissatisfaction with the situation, Joe Reedy reported for the Associated Press (AP).

ESPN was showing the fourth round of the US Open when it went off the air on DirecTV at 7:20 p.m. EDT, just half an hour before the start of the match between Frances Tiafoe, an American who reached the 2022 US Open semifinals, and Alexei Popyrin, an Australian who recently eliminated defending champion Novak Djokovic.

“It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 US Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN. We are hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible,” the USTA said in a statement.

The blackout also occurred 10 minutes before the start of the college football game between No. 13 LSU and 23rd-ranked Southern California in Las Vegas.

ABC-owned stations in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno, California, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Raleigh, North Carolina, also went off DirecTV.

Last year, Disney and Spectrum — the nation’s second-largest cable TV provider — were involved in a nearly 12-day impasse until reaching an agreement hours before the first Monday night NFL game of the season.

DirecTV stated that Disney offered an extension to keep the channels on the air in exchange for DirecTV having to waive all future legal claims that its behavior is anti-competitive.

“The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system,” said Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer.