ESPN has been taken off the air on DirecTV for the second straight year during the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the first full weekend of college football. The move, resulting from a carriage dispute between DirecTV and Disney Entertainment, has angered sports fans and the U.S. Tennis Association. The blackout occurred just before a U.S. Open match and a college football game, affecting viewers in major cities across the country.
Last year, Disney faced a similar situation with Spectrum before reaching an agreement just hours before the first Monday night NFL game. DirecTV claims Disney offered an extension in exchange for waiving future legal claims of anti-competitive behavior. DirecTV’s chief content officer criticized Disney for prioritizing profits and control over consumer choice and fair pricing.
DirecTV has since urged Disney to finalize a deal, but both sides are at odds over the value of Disney’s portfolio of television channels and programs. The impasse reflects a larger trend in the industry, with distributors and subscribers seeking more flexibility in channel selection and frustration over premium content being distributed on direct-to-consumer platforms.
As a result, all ESPN channels, ABC-owned stations, and other Disney-branded channels have gone dark on DirecTV. The blackout has left consumers frustrated and highlights the ongoing tensions between networks, distributors, and production companies in the entertainment industry.
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