ESPN Goes Dark on DirecTV During U.S. Open and College Football, Sparking Outrage Among Sports Fans

For the second consecutive year, ESPN has gone off the air on a major carrier during a critical sports period, leaving viewers in the lurch during the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the first full weekend of college football. This time, Disney Entertainment’s channels, including ESPN, went dark on DirecTV on Sunday night after the two companies failed to reach a new carriage agreement. As a result, fans missed out on crucial matches, including the fourth round of the U.S. Open and the highly anticipated college football game between No. 13 LSU and 23rd-ranked Southern California.

Fan Frustration and USTA Disappointment

The blackout has sparked a wave of frustration among sports fans, who took to social media to express their displeasure. The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) also voiced its profound disappointment, as the blackout occurred during the fourth round of the U.S. Open, with the match between American Frances Tiafoe and Australian Alexei Popyrin set to begin just minutes later.

“It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport participate in the 2024 U.S. Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN. We hope this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible,” the USTA said.

Impact on College Football

The blackout also came at a crucial moment in college football, striking just 10 minutes before the highly anticipated game between No. 13 LSU and 23rd-ranked Southern California in Las Vegas, intensifying the impact on sports fans.

Broader Reach of the Blackout

The dispute’s impact extended beyond ESPN, with ABC-owned stations in major markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Raleigh also going dark on DirecTV.

Echoes of Previous Disputes

The standoff between Disney and DirecTV echoes a similar dispute from last year when Disney and Spectrum, the nation’s second-largest cable TV provider, were locked in a nearly 12-day impasse that ended just hours before the first Monday night NFL game of the season. This previous dispute, which also involved a blackout of Disney channels, serves as a reminder of the potential impact of such conflicts on viewers and the sports industry.

DirecTV’s Stance on the Dispute

DirecTV claims that Disney offered an extension to keep the channels on air but with a significant caveat—DirecTV would have to waive all future legal claims that Disney’s behavior is anti-competitive.

“The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system,” said Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, in a statement. “Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world where we believe you earn your way and must answer for your actions. They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers—making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price.”

Disney’s Response

In response, Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairs of Disney Entertainment, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro issued a joint statement urging DirecTV to finalize a deal. They emphasized that while Disney is open to offering DirecTV flexibility similar to agreements with other distributors, they will not enter into a contract that undervalues their portfolio of television channels and programs.

The Larger Industry Conflict

The conflict highlights the ongoing tension between networks and distributors as the industry grapples with evolving content models. Distributors and subscribers have been increasingly vocal about their desire for a model where they can purchase channels a la carte, meaning they can select and pay for individual channels instead of being forced into bundled packages. This desire for more control over their viewing options is a key factor in the current dispute between Disney and DirecTV.

“Consumer frustration is at an all-time high as Disney shifts its best producers, most innovative shows, top teams, conferences, and entire leagues to their direct-to-consumer services while making customers pay more than once for the same programming on multiple Disney platforms,” Thun added. “Disney’s only magic is forcing prices to increase while simultaneously making its content disappear.”

Millions of Viewers Affected

As a result of the dispute, all ESPN network channels, ABC-owned stations, and Disney-branded channels such as Freeform, FX, and National Geographic went dark on DirecTV. With no immediate resolution in sight, millions of viewers remain caught in the crossfire, missing out on some of the year’s most anticipated sporting events.