Update on ESPN, FX, other lost channels

DirecTV subscribers in Louisville are without a lineup of Disney-owned channels, as the companies were unable to agree to a new contract that would have kept channels from going dark Sunday night.

If the stalemate continues, viewers may not get to watch college football games on ESPN and movies on FX.

Here is what we know about the DirecTV-Disney dispute:

DirecTV-Disney dispute: ESPN, Disney Channel go dark

Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro pointed out the bad timing for DirecTV subscribers in a statement sent to USA TODAY.

“While we’re open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we’ve extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs,” the statement said. “We invest significantly to deliver the No. 1 brands in entertainment, news and sports because that’s what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what’s in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming.”

DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun said Disney demanded, as part of a deal, that the TV provider waive all legal claims that its behavior is anti-competitive. That suggests Disney is worried about antitrust concerns, he said.

A federal judge recently halted the launch of a new streaming platform called Venu – a joint venture of Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery – as possibly anti-competitive. That “first time ever” offering of unbundled sports programming from rival companies could cause “irreparable harm” to sports streaming service Fubo, which brought the lawsuit, the judge said.

DirecTV wants programmers such as Disney to work with them so they can offer “smaller, more tailored packages” that fit with viewers’ interests, rather than having them pay for “fat bundles” that include channels they never watch, Thun has said.

“Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world where we believe you earn your way and must answer for your own actions,” Thun said in a statement to USA TODAY. “They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers – making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price.”

DirecTV, Disney try to get public on their sides

As talks between DirecTV and Disney happened in recent days, both sides have made moves to get public opinion on their side.

DirecTV subscribers watching ESPN saw alerts saying, “DirecTV & DirecTV Stream Customers: You Could Lose The ESPN Networks” and urged viewers to visit KeepMyESPN.com to learn more.

On the website, Disney says: “We continuously work with our Cable, Satellite, Telco and Streaming distribution partners to continue to offer fans our networks on their TV channel lineups. Disney Entertainment has a highly successful track record of negotiating with providers of all types and sizes across the country and is committed to reaching fair, market-based rates and terms.”

DirecTV created the site UnbundledDisney.com where it says the TV provider is “working with programmers like Disney to provide more choice, control and value to complement streaming services.”

What happens next is unclear. Last year about this time, a carriage dispute between Disney and Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum Cable, led to a nearly two-week blackout.

As of Sunday night, Thun shared with USA TODAY, “there’s nobody in a room talking at this point.”

Which channels did DirecTV subscribers lose?

Here are some of the channels customers will not be able to access during the contract dispute:

• Disney Channel
• ESPN networks (includes the ACC and SEC networks)
• Freeform
• FX
• FXX
• National Geographic

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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