US Open Tennis Releases a Statement on the DirectTV Dispute With Disney
It was not a good day for sports fans. Many flipped on their TVs only to be met with a message on their screen. A message stating they have lost several channels due to failed negotiations. Tennis fans (also college football fans were affected); are especially upset being that the US Open is currently underway. For this reason, the US Open Tennis releases a statement on the DirectTV dispute with Disney.
Joe Pompliano who focuses on the business side of sports mentions this broadcasting dilemma, he says,
“DIRECTV and Disney were unable to agree to a deal, so all Disney-owned channels — ABC, ESPN, etc. — were just shut off during the U.S. Open and minutes before the USC-LSU game.”
So then, what does the Walt Disney Company have to say about this situation? Well, a statement by Dana Walden and Alan Bergman (co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment); as well as Jimmy Pitaro (chairman of ESPN) was immediately released Sunday afternoon. It states,
“DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the US Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season. While we’re open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we’ve extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs. We invest significantly to deliver the No. 1 brands in entertainment, news and sports because that’s what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what’s in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming.”
Therefore, it looks like Disney Entertainment was looking for a very different offer from DirecTV. Yet, playing the blame game will not be a good way forward. Nonetheless, hopefully both sides will be able to come to the table and get this issue resolved.
US Open Tennis Releases a Statement on the DirectTV Dispute With Disney
But it has been the fans that have suffered the most during this ordeal. They pay hundreds monthly, but can still have channels ripped away without notice. Unfair.
For this reason, US Open Tennis is just as upset for sports fans. The entity fired off with a statement of their own. In response to the broadcast situation the sporting event says,
“It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 US Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN. We are hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible.
During this outage, ESPN can be alternatively accessed by streaming services including Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV, and Fubo TV. ESPN is not free on these platforms unless there is a free trial option.”
This type of failed negotiation has happened before, but an agreement was able to be reached. For the sake of sports enthusiasts who wish to enjoy live sporting entertainment and coverage; hopefully things can be rectified soon between the two parties.
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