A recent spat between Charter Communications and Disney resulted in ESPN channels going dark for Spectrum cable subscribers Thursday night.
The blackout notably occurred just as fans were preparing to watch the anticipated college football clash between Florida and No. 14 Utah. Spectrum, which serves roughly 14.7 million “video subscribers,” highlighted that this blackout encompassed 19 Disney-owned channels.
The company took the opportunity to display a statement on these channels, explaining to viewers that Disney was demanding excessive rate increases and hindering customer choice in programming packages. Spectrum’s message emphasized their commitment to minimizing customer costs and expressed their regret over the inconvenience.
Disney, in turn, emphasized the value of their extensive portfolio and pointed out that they have successful deals with various pay TV providers nationwide.
The entertainment giant stressed that the rates they’re requesting from Spectrum are consistent with market standards. Charter Communications also made their stance known, voicing disappointment in Disney’s decision to pull their networks, and highlighted the challenges presented by the current video ecosystem. As a workaround during the blackout, Spectrum subscribers with high-speed internet have several options for free short-term access to popular channels, including YouTube TV, Fubo TV, and DirecTV stream trials.
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