Here’s What You Need to Know About the Dispute Between DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company – The Walt Disney Company

The start of September kicks off with an eclectic mix of action from the much-anticipated return of the NFL, college football, and the best that tennis has to offer at the US Open, not to mention the Emmy® Awards and Presidential Debate on ABC later this month. Yet, millions of DirecTV customers are left in the dark while ESPN and other Disney-owned channels are blacked out due to DirecTV’s decision to decline a fair, marketplace-based agreement with The Walt Disney Company.

“DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the US Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season,” said Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen, Disney Entertainment, and Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN. “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. 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,” they added.

Disputes between cable companies and content providers aren’t new, but they can lead to a lot of confusion. To help cut through the noise, here are some important points to consider:

• The value of Disney’s portfolio is indisputable. More than 90% of DirecTV households watched Disney’s linear programming every month last year. That’s more than 5 billion hours viewed in a single year.
• Disney invests significantly in its content, and is seeking rates that are fair, in line with other providers in the marketplace, and that reflect the value of Disney’s popular and award-winning programming. For example, The Walt Disney Company garnered 183 Emmy® Award nominations this year alone, more than any other entertainment company, and ESPN recently extended its relationship with the NBA and WNBA through 2036, and with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to remain home to the US Open through 2037.
• DirecTV continues to push a narrative that they want to explore more flexible, “skinnier” bundles and that Disney refuses to engage. This is blatantly false. Disney has been negotiating with them in good faith for weeks and has proposed a variety of flexible options, in addition to innovative ways to work together in making Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming services available to DirecTV’s customers.

As recent years have shown, the one constant in the entertainment world is change. As television and the broader media ecosystem continue to evolve, Disney is the clear industry leader in storytelling, and in establishing flexible distribution models that meet the evolving preferences and needs of consumers.

For more details and alternate ways to access Disney’s content, consumers can go to KeepMyNetworks.com.