ESPN is among a number of Disney entertainment channels that are no longer available on Charter Spectrum cable systems
From
JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer
August 31, 2023, 9:59 p.m. ET
• 3 min reading
ESPN is among a number of Disney entertainment channels that are no longer available on Charter Spectrum cable systems.
The channels were dropped Thursday night amid a carriage dispute between the country’s second-largest cable television provider – the largest provider in New York and Los Angeles, among numerous other markets – and Disney.
ESPN broadcast a college football game between Florida and No. 14 Utah, while ESPN2 showed the U.S. Open tennis tournament, including the second-round game between top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Lloyd Harris, as the channels for Charter’s 14.7 million Spectrum dropped subscribers.
There were also college football games on SEC Network, ACC Network and ESPNU.
The move angered sports fans and the U.S. Tennis Association was unhappy with the timing.
“We are extremely disappointed for our fans and viewers across the country that Spectrum and Charter were unable to resolve their dispute with Disney, resulting in the loss of ESPN’s coverage of Thursday night’s games.” We are very confident that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible,” USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said in a statement.
Both Charter Spectrum and the Walt Disney Co. said in statements that negotiations had been underway for some time.
In addition to all ESPN network channels, ABC-owned channels, Disney-branded channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic are also no longer available on Charter Spectrum.
“Disney Entertainment has successful agreements with pay-TV providers of all shapes and sizes across the country, and the rates and terms we seek in this renewal are market-driven. We are committed to finding an amicable solution with Charter and encourage them to work with us to minimize disruption to their customers,” Disney Entertainment said in a statement.
“We made a fair offer to Disney, but they are demanding an excessive increase,” Charter Spectrum said in a note to customers. “They also want to limit our ability to offer our customers a greater choice of programming packages by forcing you to use and pay for channels you may not want. Rising programming costs are the single largest factor driving higher cable television prices, and we are fighting hard to comply with programming fees imposed by companies like Disney.”
ESPN traditionally has the highest carriage fees for cable companies. Under its 2019 carriage deal, Disney receives an average of $2.20 billion per year from carriage with Charter Spectrum, according to S&P Global.
Other cities where Charter Spectrum is the primary cable provider include Dallas/Fort Worth; Orlando Florida; Tampa, Fla.; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis; Cleveland; Cincinnati; Milwaukee; and Las Vegas.
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