Disney, Spectrum direct customers to other TV services as dispute keeping ESPN off air continues
A business dispute that has pulled ESPN and other Disney-owned companies off the air for nearly 15 million cable TV subscribers continues, with both companies taking the unusual step of directing customers to look elsewhere for their favorite networks
NEW YORK — Both sides of a dispute that has left nearly 15 million cable TV subscribers without ESPN or other networks affiliated with The Walt Disney Co. are directing customers to other services where they can watch television.
The offers speak to the unusual nature of the business dispute between Disney and Charter Communications, and doesn't auger a quick resolution.
Charter is telling its Spectrum TV customers about a special deal being offered by the Fubo live television streaming service to get two months at discounts of 25% or 30%, depending on the plan.
“I've covered carriage disputes for more years than I would like to remember, and I don't recall a TV provider ever offering its customers a discount to another TV provider during a channel blackout,” wrote journalist Phillip Swann, who runs tvanswerman.com.
Spectrum had no comment Tuesday on the offer's implications.
Disney, meanwhile, is also offering upset Spectrum customers online links to sign up for other services, like Hulu, Fubo, Sling and YouTubeTV. A Disney representative said that “discussions continue” with Charter and had no other updates.
The business battle resulted in ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic and Disney-branded stations going abruptly dark on Thursday night for Charter’s Spectrum TV subscribers. ABC-TV was also cut in seven markets, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Carriage disputes, involving what cable or satellite customers will pay to carry specific networks on their
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