11 Sep Disney And Spectrum Reach Carriage Agreement; Eight Networks To Remain Dark In Deal Touted As “Innovative Model For The Future” [Deadline]
BY DADE HAYES
September 11, 2023 | Disney and Charter Communications have reached a carriage renewal, ending a 10-day impasse that drew intense scrutiny to the shifting economics of pay-TV in the streaming era.
The agreement preserves carriage on Charter’s Spectrum systems for 19 cable networks and stations, including ESPN, FX and ABC stations in major markets, but it leaves behind eight others. The roster of networks that will no longer be carried by Spectrum includes Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo. With 14.7 million customers, Spectrum is the No. 2 cable operator in the U.S.
Of the eight ABC stations affected by the dispute, seven are returning to Spectrum, including WABC in New York and KABC in LA. But Philadelphia’s WPVI, which is located in a pay-TV market dominated by rival Comcast, wasn’t affected by the new agreement.
In a joint statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said, “Our collective goal has always been to build an innovative model for the future. This deal recognizes both the continued value of linear television and the growing popularity of streaming services while addressing the evolving needs of our consumers. We also want to thank our mutual customers for their patience this past week and are pleased that Spectrum viewers once again have access to Disney’s high-quality sports, news and entertainment programming, in time for Monday Night Football.”