Topline:
Walt Disney Co. and Charter Communications, the owners of Spectrum, have reached a deal, with Disney channels back on Spectrum programming. That includes ESPN — just in time for Monday Night Football.
Why it matters: Around 15 million Spectrum subscribers were locked out of Disney channels since Aug. 31, as the distributor and content provider hashed out details of a carriage deal — what is also known as a distribution agreement.
Details: Jets and Bills fans are in luck. In the “transformative, multi-year distribution agreement,” the two companies said in a joint statement, Spectrum subscribers will have access to 19 Disney networks including ABC, Nat Geo and ESPN. However, nine channels will be leaving the Spectrum portfolio, including Freeform and Disney Junior.
The backstory: The content provider and distributor were in a stalemate over carriage fees — the fees that Spectrum pays Disney to carry its content.
"The Walt Disney Company has removed their programming from Spectrum which creates hardship for our customers," read a statement by Spectrum on a website called disneyespnfairdeal.com. "We offered Disney a fair deal, yet they are demanding an excessive increase."
The stalemate between Spectrum and Disney over carriage fees — the fees that Spectrum pays Disney to carry its content — has ended, which means Disney channels are immediately back on Spectrum programing.
That includes ESPN, which comes right on time for tonight's season debut of Monday Night Football.
Around 15 million Spectrum subscribers had been locked out of Disney channels since Aug. 31, as the distributor and content provider hashed out details of a carriage deal, which is also known as a distribution agreement.
In tonight’s much-awaited game, the Buffalo Bills are set to take on the New York Jets, and fans have taken to social media to rejoice:
In the “transformative, multi-year distribution agreement,” the two companies said in a joint statement that Spectrum subscribers will have access to 19 Disney networks, including ABC, Nat Geo and ESPN. And select Spectrum TV packages will be able to log in to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
However, nine channels will be leaving the Spectrum portfolio, including Freeform and Disney Junior.
Fans are bemoaning the loss of Freeform ahead of its popular 31 Days of Halloween programming.
The channel, with content mostly aimed at 14- to 35-year-old viewers, has a fan following for its original content, like Grown-ish, but also its 31 Days of Halloween and 25 Days of Christmas programming.
And with more than 11,000 film and television writers on strike, some have taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their ire that Disney was able to quickly negotiate with Charter Communications.
Upon announcement of the deal earlier this morning, the affected Disney channels were restored immediately on Spectrum stations.
