Disney blackout on DirecTV frustrates fans of ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’

As a long-time sports enthusiast and avid fan of both the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, I find myself deeply troubled by the ongoing dispute between DirecTV and Disney. The thought of missing ESPN’s kickoff for “Monday Night Football” is almost unbearable, especially given that it’s the highly anticipated clash between these two iconic teams.

On Monday, the prolonged channel blackout by The Walt Disney Company, now in its ninth day, could potentially prevent millions of DirecTV subscribers from catching the start of “Monday Night Football,” a highly anticipated match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets on ESPN.

Customers of DirecTV and U-Verse are growing more irritated as the argument persists, causing disruptions to Disney’s broadcast of the initial week of college football, NFL games, and the U.S. Open tennis championship. Since September 1st, Disney Channel, FX, and ABC television stations have been unavailable.

Over the weekend, the dispute between Disney and DirecTV became more heated. This is because DirecTV accused Disney in a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission of not being fair during negotiations and using tactics that were against competition. In response, DirecTV launched an ad campaign featuring Mickey Mouse from “Steamboat Willie.” One of the ads showed Mickey casually steering a boat over a waterfall edge.

In their complaint, DirectTV claimed that the negotiations have hit an impasse due to Disney’s insistence on bundling conditions and market access requirements, which a federal district court judge in New York has recently deemed unlawful, anticompetitive, and detrimental to consumers.

Disney and other content creators have proposed raising licensing fees for their programming, which includes cable shows now available outside of traditional pay-TV providers. They aim to compensate for higher expenses such as broadcasting NFL and NBA games.

In the opening half of the year, traditional pay-TV services like DirecTV have faced increased pressure, with over four million households opting out of these services, as reported by MoffettNathanson, a leading research firm.

DirecTV has chafed over Disney’s shift to streaming.

In their complaint to the FCC, DirectTV stated that Disney is trying to make them carry a large package of Disney programming, some of which may not be as popular, while Disney itself offers more affordable, customizable packages that cater to consumer preferences.

The lengthy FCC proceedings might stretch over several months, offering minimal immediate respite to the approximately 11 million DirecTV subscribers. However, according to reports, both parties have made some headway by reaching a provisional agreement regarding fees.

Last September, a nearly two-week blackout of Disney channels on Charter Communications’ Spectrum service ended, coinciding with the kickoff of the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season. This happened right around the time when Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained a season-ending injury in the initial minutes of “Monday Night Football.” However, it seems Rodgers is set to play against the San Francisco 49ers this time around.

Disney has suggested that disgruntled viewers might switch from DirecTV to other providers like Hulu + Live TV (which they own) or directly subscribe to Disney+. They also recently partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox Corp. to launch a sports-focused package, called Venu, which includes channels such as ESPN.

However, a New York judge recently put a temporary hold on Venu’s launch, stating that the service might be anti-competitive.

Disney, on track to release ESPN’s live sports content to consumers by next year, has disputed the statements made by DirecTV.

Disney encourages DirecTV to abandon distractions and concentrate on their customers by swiftly agreeing to a contract that ensures Directv subscribers can enjoy our robust selection of sports, news, and entertainment programming, including the resumption of Monday Night Football.

Due to a dispute between Disney and the satellite providers DirecTV and U-Verse, viewers in Los Angeles and other regions are currently unable to access eight of Disney’s ABC stations. This means they are missing out on local news broadcasts, as well as popular shows like “Good Morning America,” “The View,” and “Jeopardy.

Due to an existing arrangement, all DirecTV Stream users currently lack access to their local ABC network. This setup empowers Disney to handle negotiations for local ABC stations that are owned by different companies.

If the blackout continues beyond “Monday Night Football” and college football, DirectTV subscribers might also miss the live broadcast of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards this coming Sunday.

DirecTV has offered $30 credits to customers. But that hasn’t mollified many subscribers.

DirectTV is considering packages tailored around specific themes like kids’ shows, family entertainment, regional TV channels, and sports. However, discussions with Disney about these potential offerings have yet to make significant progress.

A significant dispute in the negotiations revolves around Disney’s insistence on a “minimum reach” for its channels, particularly with DirecTV. As stated in the FCC complaint, Disney has historically required that their channels are accessible to at least 90% of DirecTV’s subscribers. However, executives have noted that the minimum threshold for ESPN channels is more around 80%.

When DirecTV doesn’t meet that mark, it has to pay huge penalties, DirecTV executives have said.

The two parties are at a standstill as Disney is unwilling to let DirectTV provide reduced channel packages (known as “skinnier bundles”), unless DirectTV also fulfills additional minimum audience requirements. These requirements, as stated by DirectTV in their filing, make it difficult or excessively costly for them to provide such skinny bundles.

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2024-09-10 00:33