DirecTV and Disney reach agreement to end blackout

DirecTV announced on Saturday that it has finalized a deal with Walt Disney Co., ending a nearly two-week blackout of ESPN and Disney-owned channels. The agreement will restore access to ESPN, ABC-owned stations, FX, National Geographic, and other Disney networks for DirecTV’s 11 million subscribers. The dispute had cut off these channels from viewers across major U.S. markets, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Houston.

For viewers hoping to watch ABC’s Emmy Awards broadcast and sports fans wanting to watch ESPN’s college football events, the resolution arrives just in time. Starting on September 1, a number of popular programs were unavailable, including Monday Night Football and the U.S. Open tennis competition.

Although the agreement’s financial terms were not made public, DirecTV said that Disney payments will be made in accordance with “market-based” pricing. Additionally, the new agreement enables DirecTV to provide Disney’s streaming services in both standalone and combined packages. Furthermore, DirecTV obtained the rights to charge subscribers extra for ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service.

The agreement follows heightened tensions between the two companies, with DirecTV filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith. This dispute echoes a similar situation from the previous year when Disney’s channels were pulled from Spectrum just before the start of the NFL season.

This recent blackout highlights ongoing challenges in negotiations over carriage fees and programming rights. As both companies adjust their strategies, viewers and subscribers are closely watching how future disputes might affect access to major sports events and popular TV channels.