Just before the much-anticipated college football game between LSU and USC kicked off on Sunday night, DirecTV subscribers were hit with a major disruption. At approximately 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET) on September 1, Disney removed all its programming channels from DirecTV, including ESPN, ABC, Hulu, Freeform, and FX. This unexpected blackout left many viewers unable to watch the game or enjoy their favorite Disney-owned shows and movies. The move appears to be the result of a contentious licensing dispute between Disney and DirecTV. Disney has indicated that it will not agree to any terms that it believes undervalue its extensive portfolio of television channels and programming.
Adding to the complexity, DirecTV has raised concerns about Disney’s approach in light of a class-action antitrust lawsuit against the media giant. DirecTV has criticized Disney’s demands, accusing the company of attempting to sidestep legal accountability for what it views as a pattern of anti-competitive behavior. The sudden loss of channels had immediate repercussions, with Reddit users on the r/tennis subreddit noting the outage of US Open coverage due to ESPN’s removal. Some even reported issues with in-flight DirecTV service on JetBlue flights, highlighting the broad impact of the blackout.
DirecTV’s statement on the issue revealed that “millions of DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-verse customers” have been affected by the removal of Disney programming. With DirecTV boasting approximately 11.3 million subscribers as of the fourth quarter of 2023, the scale of the disruption is significant. The timing of the dispute recalls a similar situation from the previous year when Spectrum TV customers lost Disney channels due to a similar licensing disagreement. That dispute took nearly two weeks to resolve, raising concerns about whether DirecTV subscribers will have their channels restored before the upcoming Monday Night Football game on September 9.
In the meantime, DirecTV subscribers seeking to access Disney channels might consider alternative streaming options. Services such as YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, and Fubo offer access to Disney-owned channels and provide trial periods to accommodate those awaiting a resolution. For subscribers affected by the blackout, DirecTV is offering potential credits as compensation for the inconvenience. To check eligibility for a credit, customers can visit DirecTV’s TV Promise page, enter their information, and follow the instructions to claim any available compensation.
