CINCINNATI —
A company representing nearly 15 million cable subscribers and The Walt Disney Co. blamed each other Friday for a dispute that has cut off Disney-owned stations to viewers on the eve of a big sports weekend for U.S. Open tennis and college football fans.
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The Walt Disney Company has removed their programming from Spectrum. Spectrum is on your side and fighting hard to resolve this situation and keep costs down while protecting and maximizing customer choice. We apologize for the inconvenience. Learn More: https://t.co/AeihCm6NXB— Ask Spectrum (@Ask_Spectrum) September 1, 2023
The dispute between Disney and Charter Communications Inc. resulted in ESPN, ABC, FX, National Geographic and Disney-branded stations going abruptly dark on Thursday night for Charter’s Spectrum TV subscribers. ABC-TV was also cut in seven markets, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Both the cable company and Disney said the other side rejected short-term extensions that would have kept Spectrum subscribers’ access to the networks.
Disputes that result in such service disruptions are not uncommon. This one feels bigger, both because of the number of networks and customers involved and how the companies are grappling with a rapidly changing business environment.