Sep
U.S. Open Fans Hit by DirecTV-Disney Dispute – Missing Major Broadcasts
Approximately 11 million DirecTV subscribers found themselves unable to watch the U.S. Open, one of tennis’s premier events, due to a dispute between Disney and DirecTV that led to the removal of ESPN and ABC programming from the satellite service over the weekend.
The blackout, which began on Sunday night, not only disrupted coverage of the U.S. Open but also affected college football broadcasts, including the highly anticipated game between the University of Southern California Trojans and Louisiana State University Tigers, according to a DirecTV representative.
The New York Times reported that this blackout left a significant portion of viewers unable to access ESPN’s coverage of the U.S. Open. The official U.S. Open channels expressed their disappointment, stating: “It is unfortunate that fans across the country cannot watch the 2024 U.S. Open due to ongoing negotiations between DirecTV and Disney. We hope this situation is resolved promptly.”
The conflict centers around disagreements over the value of Disney’s content. Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, issued a joint statement saying, “DirecTV has chosen to deny millions of subscribers access to our programming during a critical time, including the final week of the U.S. Open and the start of the college football and NFL seasons. We have offered flexibility in negotiations but will not agree to terms that undervalue our content.”
In response, DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun criticized Disney’s approach, arguing that increased costs are unjustified as Disney transitions more programming to its Disney+ platform. Thun stated, “Disney aims for maximum profits and control, which comes at the expense of consumers. They are making it harder for viewers to choose their preferred content at a reasonable price while shifting their top content to Disney+.”
DirecTV’s internal data claims that fewer than 40% of its customers engage with Disney sports content for three or more hours per month, and only 10% spend that amount of time on kids’ and family programming.
Disney, meanwhile, has indicated that it has proposed various flexible options during negotiations. A statement on the Walt Disney Company website emphasized that Disney remains a leader in storytelling and adapting to changing consumer preferences, asserting that the proposed rates are consistent with industry standards.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Disney, ABC, ESPN, and DirecTV for additional comments.
U.S. Open Fans Hit by DirecTV-Disney Dispute – Missing Major Broadcasts
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