First the U.S. Open, then Monday Night Football, and now the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Disney’s decision to pull its channels, including ESPN, ABC and FX, from DirecTV means subscribers will continue to miss out on major sporting events and other big primetime shows.
September 1st, Disney removed all of its TV channels A dispute over licensing agreements has led to Disney being barred from DirecTV services. This year’s contract dispute between Disney and DirecTV is similar to a similar suspension of Spectrum TV last year. Last year’s disagreement was mainly over licensing prices, but this year’s dispute appears to be more serious.
Saturday, DirecTV filed a complaint with the FTC against DisneyThe company claims that the entertainment company “asserts bundling and penetration requirements that were recently determined by a federal district court judge to be unlawful, anticompetitive and ‘harmful to consumers.'” DirecTV offers subscribers a bill credit for not being able to watch Disney programming, and recently increased that credit from $20 to $30.
It is not yet clear when that will be Disney and DirecTV contract dispute It might be resolved. Read on to learn how to request a bill credit and everything else you need to know about Disney and DirecTV’s contract dispute.
Which viewers will be affected by DirecTV’s Disney Channel shutdown?
DirecTV said in a statement on September 1 that “millions of DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers” lost access to Disney programming channels, including Disney+, ESPN, ABC, Hulu, Freeform, FX and more. StatistaDirecTV subscriber numbers reached 11.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.
DirecTV subscribers at local ABC affiliates not owned by Disney will still be able to receive their local ABC channel via satellite service, but will no longer be able to watch ABC via streaming.
When will Disney Channel return to DirectTV?
This year’s feud between Disney and DirecTV is reminiscent of football season deja vu: Last Aug. 31, Spectrum TV viewers suddenly lost access to Disney programming due to another licensing dispute.
Disney and Spectrum ultimately resolved their differences, but it took until Sept. 11. Because this licensing dispute is separate, it remains to be seen whether DirecTV viewers will be able to watch ESPN by the time the 49ers host the Jets for the first Monday Night Football game on Sept. 9.
Are there any other ways DirecTV subscribers can watch ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels?
With the Disney Channel removed from DirecTV, subscribers have been given other streaming services to replace its programming. YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV, both of which are top-rated streaming services by CNET, offer all the major Disney channels, including ABC, ESPN, Disney Plus, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FX and National Geographic, which were both removed from DirecTV.
YouTube TV’s basic plan costs $73 per month and offers a 21-day trial.Hopefully Disney and DirecTV will resolve their differences in the coming weeks. Hulu Plus Live TV costs $77 per month A 3-day trial is also available.
Fubo’s basic plan includes all the major Disney channels, including ESPN, FX, and ABC. It costs $80 per month, but there’s a 7-day free trial. First month is now only $50Similarly, SlingTV offers most of the Disney channels through its base Sling Orange package. $15 for the first month, then $40 each monthIf you want to watch your local ABC affiliate, you’ll need to add Sling Blue or extend your TV coverage with an over-the-air antenna.
As mentioned above, if your local ABC affiliate isn’t owned by Disney, you can receive your local channel via satellite instead of streaming through the DirecTV app.
How can DirecTV subscribers get back the cost of not being able to watch Disney programming?
If you’re a DirecTV subscriber affected by the loss of Disney programming channels, you may be eligible to receive a credit from your satellite TV company. Missing TV Channels Support PageDirecTV said the credits are “a small way for us to acknowledge the disruption and compensate for the temporary inconvenience while we work to make your channels available again.”
To see if you qualify for DirecTV credits, visit the company TV Promises page, select your TV service from the drop-down menu, enter your zip code, search To check, if the site says you are eligible for credit, Check your bill credit Select the correct button in the section to claim your compensation.
According to a CNET investigation, the original bill credit was $20, but DirecTV has since increased the amount to $30, which should be applied to future DirecTV bills.
