Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP
Daniil Medvedev can’t watch the US Open in his hotel room.
New York CNN –
Tennis champion Daniil Medvedev is taking part in the US Open, but there’s a problem: he can’t watch any of the games on his TV.
The third-ranked player and 2021 US Open winner lamented at a post-match press conference on Monday that the ongoing dispute between Spectrum and the Walt Disney Company has forced him to look for alternatives to watching tennis as his hotel no longer carries ESPN.
“I can’t watch it on TV anymore.” said Medvedev about the tennis tournament. “I don’t know if it’s legal or illegal, but I have to find a way because I can’t watch it on TV. I have internet, probably these, as you call it, pirated websites, so I watch tennis there… I have no other choice.”
An ESPN spokesman said Tuesday it was working to give Medvedev access to the ESPN+ app, which streams the games.
Last week, Disney-owned channels like ESPN were pulled from 15 million Spectrum cable subscribers in prime time, angering fans trying to watch tennis and college football. Charter, Spectrum’s parent company, said Disney “insisted on a traditional long-term contract with higher rates and limited packaging flexibility” and that Disney rejected its extension proposal.
The cable provider claims that the media group’s proposal would result in a significant increase in costs for subscribers, who would also be burdened with channels they may not want to watch. Such an agreement between channel owners and cable providers has been the norm for decades, but the rise of the streaming model has brought new pressures for both.
Disney said in a statement that it has “successfully entered into agreements with pay-TV providers of all types and sizes across the country, and the rates and terms we seek in this renewal will be determined by the market.” Charter to find an amicable solution and encourage them to work with us to minimize disruption to their customers.”
On Monday, Disney launched a marketing campaign saying this weekend was “frustrating for millions of Spectrum cable subscribers” and enticed people to sign up for the “Hulu + Live TV” package, which gives them access to Disney’s cable channels and ESPN+ provides where many games are broadcast live.
Ironically, NY1 – a local news station available on Spectrum – aired its morning show from the US Open on Tuesday. However, the hosts didn’t acknowledge the carriage dispute or mention the irony that Spectrum subscribers can’t watch tennis on their own cable service.
The US Open, which takes place in Queens, New York, runs until Sunday.