Just in time for college football Saturday, Disney and DirecTV announced an agreement in their two-week dispute and returned ESPN and other channels to the provider.
The announcement was made Saturday morning, and the channels were immediately restored. Some of the affected channels that carry college football were ABC, ESPN, SEC Network and ACC Network.
Disney networks went dark Sept. 1 after the two sides could not agree to terms on fees and bundle structures. More than 11 million customers were affected and during the two weeks were unable to watch such sporting events as college football, the season opening of “Monday Night Football” and the U.S. Open tennis finals.
The deal also gives DirecTV the ability to offer different options to its customers, according to the announcement.
The parties issued the following joint statement:
“Through the first-of-its-kind collaboration, DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options. DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV customers.
“We’d like to thank all affected viewers for the patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.”
Other channels affected by the dispute between Disney and DirecTV and DirecTV Stream were ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU and ESPNews. The dispute also affects the local ABC affiliate, WSB-TV. Atlanta was joined by major cities New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco as where the dispute interrupted the ABC affiliate.
The issue was a concern locally as the Falcons play the Eagles on Monday night on ESPN. Atlanta 69 will simulcast the game locally, meaning viewers with access to the network would not have missed the Falcons game.
DirecTV did offer those customers who reached out to the network refunds of $20 and $30.
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