DirecTV and Disney appear no closer to an agreement after the entertainment giant pulled its channels, including ESPN, ABC, Hulu and more from the satellite television provider Sunday. And now DirecTV is offering angry customers some compensation, but it won’t come automatically.
The company is offering credits of $20 (and possibly more in some cases) to customers of DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse. All totaled, 11 million subscribers were impacted by the dispute, which saw the channels go off the air at 7:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, when fourth-round matches of the U.S. Open were ongoing.
To get that credit, you’ll need to go to a specific website and apply for the credit. Any compensation will appear on a future bill.
“We’re pursuing every avenue to get your station back. To thank you for your patience, until the situation is resolved, we’re offering you a bill credit,” the website reads.
Carriage fees are once again at the heart of the dispute. Disney is asking DirecTV to pay more to carry its channels. And the two companies are arguing their differences in public, with combative statements.
This is the second year in a row ESPN service was interrupted during the U.S. Open. It’s an opportune time for Disney to seek higher fees, with the start of the NFL season getting underway this week as well, meaning the loss of ESPN is likely to anger DirecTV customers.
Other channels that were pulled from the television provider include Freeform, FX, Disney Junior, and Disney-owned ABC stations (including flagships in New York and Los Angeles).
Carriage disputes are generally settled in a few days, but have been known to last several weeks (as the one between Disney and Charter Communications did last year). In rare instances, they can run for years. Dish Network and WarnerMedia squabbled for more than three years, keeping HBO and Cinemax off of the satellite service from 2018 through 2021.