DirecTV, Disney reach agreement, returning ESPN to subscribers

DirecTV and The Walt Disney Co. reached an agreement in principle in their rate dispute Saturday morning, immediately returning ESPN and its sister channels to DirecTV subscribers.

The satellite service stopped offering Disney-owned channels on Sept. 1, meaning its customers couldn't watch college football, "Monday Night Football" and tennis' U.S. Open.

CNN reported that the blackout of Disney stations impacted more than 11 million DirecTV subscribers who lost access to channels such as Disney-owned ABC stations, ESPN and ESPN2, the Disney Channel and FX networks.

The two sides reached agreement ahead of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, which ABC will air on Sunday, and a slate of key college football games on Saturday. Disney and DirecTV will continue work toward finalizing a long-term agreement.

"We'd like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney's entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend," the two sides said in a joint statement.

Under the agreement, the two sides said consumers will benefit from "greater choice, value and flexibility."

The deal includes options for consumers to tailor packages to their needs, such as sports, family or entertainment programming. DirecTV customers also will have access to ESPN's upcoming standalone streaming service, due to launch in 2025, at no additional charge.

--Field Level Media