Admin September 9, 2024
DirecTV users lose access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels amid contract dispute
DirecTV and Disney failed to reach an agreement over the weekend, causing Disney to remove channels from the platform.
Scripps News
With DirecTV and Disney still bickering like an old married couple, DirecTV customers looking to watch “Monday Night Football” between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets on ABC Monday are in for a rude awakening when they realize DirecTV no longer carries that channel.
Due to a contract dispute between DirecTV and Disney, Disney pulled most of its programming from DirecTV servers on September 1, since leaving DirecTV owners without channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network, SEC Network, and yes, ABC. Non-sports related channels like Disney Channel, FX, and National Geographic were pulled as well. None of these channels have returned as both parties continue to hash out a new contract.
This predicament leaves NFL fans with quite the conundrum. How are they supposed to watch the NFL’s Week 1 conclusion? Well, there is a multitude of ways to get your NFL fix tonight without DirecTV.
MORE ON THIS: Disney-DirecTV dispute: ESPN and other channels go dark on pay TV system
How to watch “Monday Night Football” without DirecTV:
If you are now unable to watch “Monday Night Football,” you can always stream the game. The game can be streamed on Fubo and ESPN+.
Stream the game: Watch Monday Night Football with a Fubo subscription
What is going on between Disney and DirecTV?
A five-year contract between Disney and DirecTV that enabled DirecTV to air Disney-owned content expired on September 1. While both parties had been negotiating a new contract, they were not able to come to an agreement before the expiration date and it appears they are not close to reaching a deal either.
According to reports, the dispute had been heating up over the course of the last week. DirecTV subscribers watching ESPN would see alerts informing them that they could lose access to ESPN and the corresponding networks. The message then instructed viewers to visit KeepMyESPN.com to learn more. On the website, Disney says, “We continuously work with our Cable, Satellite, Telco and Streaming distribution partners to continue to offer fans our networks on their TV channel lineups. Disney Entertainment has a highly successful track record of negotiating with providers of all types and sizes across the country and is committed to reaching fair, market-based rates and terms.”
Early on Monday, a Disney representative reached out to USA Today urging DirecTV to stop making distractions and instead prioritize their customers. They believe returning “Monday Night Football” to their customers would be a good start. Disney also claimed that they are working tirelessly to come to a deal, saying “We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible.” This claim contradicts what DirecTV’s chief content officer Rob Thun said after the initial blackout on Sep. 1, when he stated that “there’s nobody in a room talking at this point” when asked how close DirecTV and Disney were to reaching an agreement.
