By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
Charter is nearing a deal with Disney to end their nearly two week-long carriage dispute that has left Spectrum TV subscribers without 26 Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, according to a report from CNBC. The news network says Charter and Disney did not respond to requests for comment and it’s unclear what the terms of the deal would be. Charter, which owns Spectrum, has said it needs flexibility in the deal that would allow it to exclude ESPN in certain plans designed to be lower cost and appeal to cord cutters. But Disney, Charter has alleged, has balked at that stipulation.
Update: The Wall Street Journal reports that the deal is done.
If the deal is announced today, it would come hours before the highly-touted Monday Night Football game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills on ESPN. ABC is also broadcasting the game, but the Disney carriage dispute has also left seven Spectrum TV markets without their ABC affiliates, including New York, the home of the Jets.
Rich Greenfield, a well-known industry analyst, and a general partner at LightShed Ventures, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday that he’s “hearing multiple reports that Disney and Charter Spectrum will reach a deal before tomorrow’s Monday Night Football kickoff on ESPN & ABC.”
The dispute began at 8 p.m. ET on August 31. The TV Answer Man will update this article when we get more details on a possible end to the Charter-Disney blackout.
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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
