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Disney Goes Dark on DirecTV in Contract Fight Over Fees for ESPN, ABC, Disney Channel, Freeform and More
ESPN, ABC and other Disney-owned channels have gone dark for DirecTV's 11 million-plus subscribers as the sides fight over a new carriage agreement.
ESPN and other Disney-owned channels have gone dark on DirecTV after the sides failed to come to terms on a new carriage agreement, a business impasse that reflects the broader economic pain spreading throughout the pay TV sector. DirecTV, like other MVPDs, is facing slowing demand for video services as viewers shift to pure-play streaming and ad-supported free options for content that have proliferated in recent years. Disney’s focus on launching a stand-alone streaming option for ESPN — one of the longtime pillars of the cable TV bundle — next year gives DirecTV little incentive to pay more for the service.
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