Two weeks after the blackout of Disney’s channels on DirecTV began, a brand new carriage deal has been agreed in principle between Disney and DirecTV. This will result in Disney’s suite of channels, including ABC, ESPN, and FX, being restored to customers.

Similar to last year’s new deal with Charter, DirecTV customers will soon have access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ in select packages.

The two companies are now finalising details on a new multi-year contract, which will include:

• Continued carriage at market-based terms of Disney’s entertainment, sports and news programming from its comprehensive linear portfolio, which includes the ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the National Geographic channels.
• The opportunity to offer multiple genre-specific options — sports, entertainment, kids & family — inclusive of Disney’s linear networks along with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
• Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) to be included in select DIRECTV packages under a wholesale agreement, and also to be made available on an a la carte basis.
• The rights to distribute Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service upon its launch at no additional cost to DIRECTV customers.

In a joint statement, the two companies commented:

“Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DIRECTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options. DIRECTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DIRECTV’s customers. We’d like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.”

Roger’s Take: It’s not a huge surprise to see this deal sorted before the first Monday Night Football on ESPN, as neither company wants this deal to end.  DirecTV needs the Disney channels, but has been able to get some of its channels on an a la carte basis, but just as important, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ are now going to be included in select DirecTV packages, which will help the streaming service get more subscribers and reduce churn.   This is a win for everyone; each company gets what it wants while service is restored to customers.

What do you think of DirecTV and Disney signing a new deal?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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