DIRECTV vs. Disney: How to Get a $20 Refund From DIRECTV

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.

TV Answer Man, we lost our ESPN and ABC stations on DIRECTV! Do you know if they will cut our bill because we don’t have them now! — Tammi, Port Republic, Maryland.

Tammi, DIRECTV last night lost all Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, when the two sides could not reach a new carriage agreement. It’s not clear this morning how long the blackout will last, but DIRECTV has already posted a page on its web site where affected subscribers can get a one-time $20 credit for losing their channels. (The blackout also affects DIRECTV Stream, U-verse and DIRECTV Via Satellite.)

To get the $20 refund, go to this page and enter your e-mail address. You must have an active subscription and use an email address linked to your account to receive the credit. DIRECTV says you will receive an email confirmation of your credit in about five to seven days.

While DIRECTV says the credit is ‘one-time,’ it also says only one credit is allowed per billing cycle. So, if the blackout lasts more a month or more, you might be able to get another one. We will report back here if this occurs.

DIRECTV has also set up a web page, UnbundleDisney.com, which explains its position on the dispute. The TV provider says it wants Disney to provide greater flexibility in which channels it offers to its subscribers so it can provide smaller packages for less money.

Disney has also set up a site for this carriage fight: Keep My Networks.

The Disney basic cable channels that are blacked out on DIRECTV are: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN News, SEC Network, ACC Network, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, Freeform, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and BabyTV.

In addition, the following Disney-owned local networks were removed from DIRECTV’s satellite service:  ABC7 Chicago, ABC7 Los Angeles, ABC7 New York, ABC7 San Francisco, ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, ABC13 Houston, Philadelphia 6ABC, and ABC30 Fresno.

The two DIRECTV streaming services lost all ABC affiliates.

The TV Answer Man will monitor this situation and report back here if anything significant changes.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.