After a two-week hiatus, ESPN and other Disney-owned channels are returning to DirecTV. The Walt Disney Company and DirecTV made a publication announced on Saturday that they were in the process of finalizing a new contract and that all channels affected by their dispute had been reinstated. This includes ABC, Freeform, FX and National Geographic. Disney After the two companies failed to reach an agreement before their old contracts expired in early September. The blackout, which is inconvenient for sports fans, coincided with the start of the football season.
The new multi-year deal brings Disney’s full linear network suite back to DirecTV, with genre-focused channel bundles (sports, family, etc.) and bundle options for Disney’s streaming services — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer service, that is will be included for free. Disney and DirecTV said in a statement that the new deal will give customers “the ability to customize their video experience through more flexible options.” They also added, “We would like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are excited to restore Disney’s entire network portfolio in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.”
