DirecTV Subscribers Could Lose Disney TV Networks if New Deal Isn’t Reached

According to Variety, Disney's TV networks could no longer be available to DirecTV subscribers as early as this Sunday if they cannot come to an agreement.

What’s Happening:

  • Disney's TV networks including ESPN and ABC might no longer be available to DirecTV subscribers as early as Sunday if they cannot come to a renewed distribution deal.
  • DirecTV's current deal with Disney expires on September 1st.
  • In an interview with Variety, president of Disney Platform Distribution Justin Connolly said, “We continue to put a number of tangible options on the table, and DirecTV has not engaged in earnest at this point.”
  • Connolly continued, saying, “At the moment we’re far apart. The focus is on trying to hammer out details, and the ball is in their court.”
  • DirecTV wants greater flexibility and how they packaged Disney’s networks, with Connolly saying, “We’ve been trying to be flexible with different constructs that DirecTV might be looking for. We’ve been iterating in the room to try to get this done. Our focus at the moment is to try to figure out if we can’t figure out something in the next four days…. What keeps coming up is this spin of, ‘We want something different,’ ‘genre-based options,’ without any specificity.”
  • The negotiations between the companies are being held in El Segundo, California, at DirecTV's headquarters.

Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Disney travel planning
Fill out the form below for a free, no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Tricia Kennedy
As a huge Disney fan Tricia enjoys having Walt Disney World basically in her backyard. When she's not at the theme parks she is either playing drums or with her dog Yoda. She is a lifelong Star Wars fan and has ridden Star Tours over 270 times.