DIRECTV Says Subscriber Losses ‘Not Immaterial’ Since Disney Dispute

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

DIRECTV CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Vince Torres told a financial conference today that subscriber defections “have not been immaterial” since the company lost the entire Disney suite of channels, including ESPN, on September 1. However, he said the company expects to ‘claw back’ those subscriber numbers when it ultimately reaches a new deal with Disney.

Speaking this morning before the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, Torres did not offer a timetable for when DIRECTV will resolve its carriage dispute with Disney which today entered its 11th full day. But he expressed optimism that an agreement will come at some point.

Torres today repeated the company’s refrain that it needs greater flexibility from Disney in which channels it carries and in which packages. The satcaster’s marketing chief said DIRECTV wants to offer slimmer programming packages at reduced prices based on genres such as sports and kids. He said DIRECTV believes it can broaden its current audience with a new way to provide programming.

Disney has said it’s open to discussing that but says DIRECTV is dragging its feet in the negotiations.

Torres also said today that company savings for not having to pay Disney during the blackout has allowed DIRECTV to subsidize the $30 subscriber credit it’s offered customers to subscribe to either Fubo or Sling TV, two live streaming services that carry the Disney channels including ESPN.

As for Disney’s offer this week to allow DIRECTV to carry the ABC feed of the presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Harris, Torres said that was a “public relations ploy” by Disney. He noted that the debate was available on multiple channels, not just ABC. Torres added that DIRECTV rejected the offer because it would have caused confusion among subscribers because the ABC signal would be available for three hours and then suddenly removed again.

The Disney channels are not available on DIRECTV’s satellite service, DIRECTV Stream, U-verse and DIRECTV Via Streaming. The streaming services also lost all ABC affiliates while the satellite audience has only lost the eight Disney-owned ABC affiliates.

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