After being removed from both Dish Network and Sling TV due to a carriage disagreement, Disney channels and programming will be made available again the next day.
After failing to secure what Disney described as “a reasonable, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks,” on September 30th, 20 Disney TV stations went dark, including ABC, ESPN, FX, Disney Channel, and National Geographic.
Dish and Disney’s Sling streaming service announced a “handshake deal” late on Sunday, October 2.
Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution released a statement on Sunday saying, “We have achieved a handshake agreement with DISH/Sling TV, which correctly represents fair market value and terms for The Walt Disney Company’s unmatched content.
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While both parties seek to negotiate a new agreement, we are happy to temporarily reinstate our portfolio of networks.
During the conflict, Disney’s ABC aired new episodes of popular shows like Abbott Elementary and Big Sky: Deadly Trails, which annoyed sports fans who usually watched ESPN for coverage of the NFL and MLB.
Dish notified its subscribers on Saturday that its contract with Disney had ended. Dish tweeted that “our goal and priority is to find a reasonable agreement to bring their networks back as soon as possible.
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Dish TV’s executive VP and group president, Brian Neylon, said in a statement on Saturday that Disney “has leveraged its market position to increase costs without consideration to the public viewing experience.”
It’s abundantly clear that Disney puts profit before the interests of its American audience, which includes sports enthusiasts and families with young children.
A Disney representative stated in a statement released on Saturday, “Months of good faith negotiations have resulted in Dish’s refusal to reach a fair, market-based agreement for ongoing distribution of our networks.
Our proposed pricing and terms are in line with the market and have served as the basis for several successful agreements with pay TV providers of varying sizes and geographic reach.
We’re dedicated to working with Dish to find a solution that benefits everyone, and we’d appreciate their cooperation so that as few of their subscribers as possible are affected.”
Disappointed viewers trying to watch Disney channels during the blackout received the following message: “Our agreement with Disney has ended.
The best possible Dish experience is our first focus, and we intend to achieve that by negotiating a favorable deal with Disney. The restoration of your channels is currently under progress.”