All Channels Immediately Restored to DIRECTV
Satellite, Streaming, and U-verse Customers
New, Robust Agreement Includes Disney's Full
Portfolio of Networks and Direct-to-Consumer Services,
Genre-Specific Options, and ESPN's Flagship Direct-to-Consumer
Offering When It Launches in 2025
BURBANK,
Calif. and EL SEGUNDO,
Calif., Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DIRECTV and
The Walt Disney Company today announced an agreement in principle
that provides greater choice, value, and flexibility to their
mutual customers. As a result, Disney's full linear suite of
networks has been restored to DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse
customers while both parties work to finalize a new, multi-year
contract.
Among the core points agreed to are:
- Continued carriage at market-based terms of Disney's
entertainment, sports and news programming from its comprehensive
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 a 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 commented: "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 recognizing 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."
About DIRECTV
As a leader in sports and entertainment
for almost 30 years, DIRECTV provides industry-leading content,
service, and user satisfaction. By reimagining what is
possible, DIRECTV's mission is to aggregate, curate and deliver
exceptional, innovative service to its customers. In 2023, DIRECTV
elevated the customer experience by delivering Gemini, which can
integrate customers' content from their third-party platform
subscriptions onto a single one-stop, digital experience. With
DIRECTV, the sports season never ends, and customers are treated to
broadcasts of several major sports, including the NFL, MLB,
NBA, NHL and multiple domestic and international soccer leagues.
DIRECTV provides customers the choice of watching sports, movies,
and TV shows on their TVs at home or their favorite mobile devices
via the DIRECTV app.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company,
together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading
diversified international entertainment and media enterprise that
includes three core business segments: Entertainment, Sports and
Experiences. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of
$88.9 billion in its Fiscal Year
2023.
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SOURCE DIRECTV
