DirecTV Offering Bill Credits Amid Ongoing Contract Dispute With Disney

TUSCALOOSA, AL — As the highly anticipated 2024 college football season kicks off, DirecTV customers in Alabama and beyond are still without access to ESPN and other Disney-owned channels due to an unresolved contract dispute.

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The blackout affects DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse customers. It follows Disney’s decision to pull its programming after DirecTV declined a proposed licensing agreement, with the timing of the dispute being particularly notable considering key events like the US Open, the NFL season opener, and the Emmy Awards are approaching.

DirecTV is also offering billing credits for customers affected by the blackout as the cable provider works to resolve the negotiations. Click here to learn more about the bill credit.

Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, have criticized DirecTV for rejecting what they view to be a fair deal and leaving millions without popular programming. Disney executives argue that the company has invested heavily in its content and offered flexible terms that DirecTV has refused.

In response, DirecTV insists Disney is demanding unfair terms and has failed to offer flexible solutions.

DirecTV’s Chief Content Officer Rob Thun has chastised Disney for allegedly forcing customers to pay for channels they don’t watch and multiple times for the same content through various Disney platforms.

Thun also condemned Disney’s legal maneuvers that he said seek to avoid accountability and limit customer choice.

DirecTV argues that Disney’s demands are anti-consumer and highlight a broader issue of content providers pushing consumers to pay for bundled services and exclusive streaming platforms.

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