ALBANY — Spectrum cable TV and Disney, including ESPN, have resolved their dispute just hours before “Monday Night Football” was scheduled to start. This ends a nearly two-week blackout of the channels. The resolution means that fans of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets can now watch the game.
The blackout of Disney channels, including ESPN, upset countless cable viewers. Charter Communications, the owner of Spectrum, had been protesting higher fees charged by Disney. They also wanted to offer customers Disney and ESPN’s streaming services. Charter/Spectrum will now carry the Disney+ and ESPN+ streaming services to customers who have the Select package and Select Plus cable packages, but other channels like Freeform and Disney XD will be removed from the Spectrum packages.
The agreement between Spectrum and Disney came as a surprise just hours before “Monday Night Football.” The resolution was particularly significant in New York, where the Buffalo Bills were set to play against the New York Jets. Governor Kathy Hochul had instructed the state’s Public Service Commission to seek details about refunds or credits for blacked-out viewers, but that issue is now considered moot. Hochul expressed her satisfaction with the dispute being settled and assured New Yorkers that they will receive a refund for the days without service, although the specifics remain unclear.
Cable TV regulation is primarily handled by the Federal Communications Commission and local municipalities, limiting the state Public Service Commission’s authority. However, the state does possess some influence to pressure cable operators. Charter, the second largest cable TV provider in the U.S., serves an estimated 14.7 million customers, with over 1.5 million impacted by the blackout.
While the Spectrum/Disney resolution is a positive development, other TV disputes remain. DirecTV, Nexstar, and Mission Broadcasting have been locked in a payment dispute for over a year, resulting in Nexstar and Mission stations being blacked out for DirecTV customers. Some DirecTV customers have reported minimal compensation, such as a one-time $10 discount.
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