After an 11-day blackout, the Disney-owned network is back on Spectrum TV.
In late August, ESPN, Disney Channel, and other networks owned and operated by Disney were removed from Spectrum TV. According to Cordcutting, Spectrum is the second largest cable provider in the US with 18.4 million subscribers.
The blackout meant that Spectrum cable subscribers missed the first two weeks of ESPN’s college football broadcasts and most of its US Open tennis coverage.
By Monday, customers tuning into the Disney-owned channel on Spectrum were given a screen claiming that Disney was demanding a “significant increase” in carriage fees.
“They also want to limit our ability to offer customers more choice in programming packages, forcing you to pick and pay for channels you don’t want,” Spectrum said. “The spectrum is on your side and fighting to keep costs down while protecting and maximizing customer choice.”
Spectrum said the following networks were affected: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN News, SEC Network, ACC Network, Longhorn Network, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, Freeform, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo. , Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and BabyTV.
As part of the agreement, Spectrum TV Select customers will receive Disney+ Basic. The companies said ESPN+ will be made available to Spectrum TV Select Plus customers.
After the standoff ended, both companies issued a joint statement.
“Our collective goal has always been to build an innovative model for the future,” the joint statement said. This deal recognizes both the continued value of linear television and the growing popularity of streaming services while addressing the growing needs of our consumers. We want to thank our mutual customers for their patience over the past week and are pleased that Spectrum viewers once again have access to Disney’s high-quality sports, news and entertainment programming in time for Monday Night Football.
During the standoff, Spectrum said that many cable viewers have abandoned traditional cable and that traditional long-term agreements do not meet consumer needs.
It is unclear whether the new agreement will come at additional cost to consumers.