9 september 2024 : DirecTV and Disney’s dispute over a new carriage agreement has escalated as it reaches its second week.
DirecTV has lodged a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith. Since September 1, DirecTV customers have been unable to access Disney channels, including ESPN and ABC stations in nine markets, leading to a blackout of major sports events such as college football games and the U.S. Open tennis finals.
With 11.3 million subscribers, DirecTV is the third-largest pay TV provider in the U.S. The dispute affects ABC’s “Monday Night Football” and an upcoming presidential debate, as well as ABC-owned stations and Disney-branded channels like Freeform, FX, and National Geographic.
DirecTV’s complaint alleges that Disney is breaching FCC good faith requirements by demanding that DirecTV forgo legal claims related to anticompetitive practices and accept unfavorable bundling terms. DirecTV wants the option to offer more flexible, less expensive programming bundles.
The complaint criticizes Disney for insisting on a “clean slate” provision and a covenant not to sue, which DirecTV argues would prevent them from addressing Disney’s anticompetitive demands or filing complaints. DirecTV CEO Ray Carpenter emphasized that the company seeks long-term solutions for its customers rather than short-term fixes.
Disney argues that mutual release of claims is standard in such negotiations and urges DirecTV to finalize a deal to restore access to its programming, including the upcoming Monday Night Football. The dispute follows a similar impasse between Disney and Charter Spectrum last year, which was resolved just before the NFL season opener.