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DirecTV has reached a deal with Disney to bring back Disney’s ESPN and other channels to its customers after a two-week blackout. The agreement comes just in time for college football games and the Emmy Awards. The blackout occurred due to a disagreement over fees and bundle structures between the two companies. The deal allows DirecTV to offer genre-specific bundles to its customers, including sports, entertainment, and kids and family options, along with Disney’s streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Additionally, DirecTV will be able to offer Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service at no extra cost. This agreement is similar to the one reached between Charter Communications and Disney last year. The blackout highlighted the importance of live sports for both media companies and pay-TV providers. DirecTV suffered some customer losses during the dispute and compensated customers with a $30 credit. Small business owners, like bars and restaurants, also felt the impact of the blackout as they rely on DirecTV for sports programming. Antitrust concerns related to media have been raised recently, with Venu, a joint streaming venture between Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox Corp, and Disney, temporarily blocked by a judge. DirecTV filed a complaint with the FCC against Disney for not negotiating in good faith, a complaint that remains active. The traditional pay-TV bundle has been disrupted in recent years as customers turn to streaming services. DirecTV is emphasizing its streaming bundle as part of its advertising campaign.

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