Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Donate
Stay Connected

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Listen
Donate

The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • The L.A. Report
    Listen • 4:58
    Kimmel returns to TV, Wrongful conviction settlement, South LA encampment cleared— The A.M. Edition
Jump to a story
  • Arts and Entertainment
    DirecTV, Disney settle
    ABC, ESPN back on for 10 million subscribers
    By  Kevin Tidmarsh
    Published September 14, 2024 9:19 AM

    Share This
    The Walt Disney Company exhibited details of its Disney+ streaming service at a Disney expo in August. The service goes live Nov. 12.
    The Walt Disney Company presenting details of its Disney+ streaming service at a Disney expo.
    (
    Jesse Grant
    /
    Getty Images for Disney
    )

    Topline:

    DirecTV customers can once again watch Disney-owned networks like ESPN and ABC, after the two companies hammered out an agreement on key terms this morning. Their contract expired two weeks ago.

    Why it matters: Over 10 million DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse subscribers had been unable to watch Disney-owned channels since Sept. 1.

    The backstory: On that date, DirecTV placed the blame on Disney, saying that the entertainment conglomerate was "sidelining" football fans and forcing DirecTV to agree to waive all anticompetitive claims against it. The cable company then fired back and filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against Disney on Sept. 9 alleging anticompetitive behavior like failing to negotiate in good faith. Disney has largely not commented publicly on the dispute.

    Why now: The agreement comes ahead of a big weekend for TV. Football season is in full swing, including many games on ESPN, and the Emmy Awards will be broadcast Sunday evening on ABC.

    What's next: DirecTV and Disney still haven't finalized the new contract, though they said in a joint statement they are continuing to work on a new multi-year deal.
Loading...