Advanced Television

Disney channels return to DirecTV

September 16, 2024

DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company have announced “an agreement in principle” that has seen Disney’s full linear suite of networks restored to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers in the US while both parties work to finalise a new, multi-year contract.

DirecTV had dropped all Disney channels on September 1st after failing to agree on a new distribution deal.

Among the core points agreed to in the newagreement are:

  • Continued carriage at market-based terms of Disney’s entertainment, sports and news programming from its linear portfolio, which includes the ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the National Geographic channels.
  • The opportunity to offer multiple genre-specific options — sports, entertainment, kids & family — inclusive of Disney’s linear networks along with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
  • Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) to be included in select DirecTV packages under a wholesale agreement, and also to be made available on an à la carte basis.
  • The rights to distribute Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service upon its launch at no additional cost to DirecTV customers.

In a joint statement, the two companies said: “Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options. DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognising both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV’s customers. 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.”

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