MoneyConsumerDon't Waste Your Money

Actions

Disney, Spectrum reach a deal: ESPN returning to cable bundles

Agreement comes just as Monday Night Football starts
ESPN streaming service to debut Thursday
Posted
and last updated

The blackout is ending.

Just hours before the kickoff of Monday Night Football, Disney has reached an agreement with Charter, the owner of Spectrum cable, according to CNBC and Deadline.com.

Roughly 15 million Spectrum customers have been unable to watch any of the ESPN channels, the Disney Channel, FX, and other Disney-owned channels for nearly two weeks, due to a disagreement over carriage fees and other rules.

It was the latest standoff between a content provider and cable company, but this disagreement came at the worst possible time as ESPN began airing college football and the US Open tennis match.

What it means for viewers

The agreement means that the ESPN channels should return to Spectrum soon, possibly in a matter of hours, according to CNBC.

ESPN's first Monday Night Football game of the season is a big one, with Aaron Rogers and his new team, the New York Jets, taking on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

The health of Bills' free safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field last season in Cincinnati, is also leading to the hype over the game (though Hamlin is not expected to play).

But, according to Deadline, not all Disney-owned channels are coming back. It says a handful of networks, including Disney Junior and Freeform, will not be returning, at least not at this time.

Spectrum in recent days had been offering customers a $15 credit and encouraging them to sign up for a free trial of Fubo TV, a streaming service that includes ESPN. It appears they will no longer need to do that.

As always, don't waste your money.

_______________________

"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").

Follow John:

For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com

Don't Waste Your Money promo

Your source for deals, product reviews and consumer news.

Have a problem?
Send us an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or Taylor.Nimmo@wcpo.com or message John on Facebook and Taylor on Facebook.