(KFSN), Houston (KTRK), Los Angeles (KABC), New York (WABC), Philadelphia (WPVI), Raleigh, N.C. The full list of Disney-owned networks affected by the blackout are: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, ACC Network, SEC Network, Longhorn Network and Baby TV.ĪBC-owned locals that have winked off Dish and Sling TV are: Chicago (WLS), Fresno, Calif. “Clearly, Disney insists on prioritizing greed above American viewers, especially sports fans and families with children who watch their content.” “Disney has exploited its market position to increase fees without regard for the public viewing experience,” Brian Neylon, EVP and group president of Dish TV, said in a statement. In addition, while Dish TV has allowed subscribers to remove local channels to reduce their monthly bills, “Now Disney wants to take this away by forcing most Dish customers in their ABC markets to pay for local channels,” the pay-TV provider said. We’re committed to reaching a fair resolution, and we urge Dish to work with us in order to minimize the disruption to their customers.”ĭish claimed that, as part of the fee increase, Disney is demanding that ESPN and ESPN2 be included in Dish TV packages that currently exclude sports channels. As a result, their Dish and Sling TV subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming from the ABC-owned television stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks, the National Geographic channels and BabyTV.”Īccording to Disney, “The rates and terms we are seeking reflect the marketplace and have been the foundation for numerous successful deals with pay-TV providers of all types and sizes across the country. “After months of negotiating in good faith, Dish has declined to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks.

Dish accused Disney of initiating the channel blackout and “hold viewers hostage for negotiation leverage.”ĭisney Media and Entertainment Distribution said Dish had rejected its “fair, market-based” offer for continuing to carry the networks. According to Dish, the media conglomerate had asked for a $1 billion increase in fees (though it’s not clear what that entails) and declined the pay-TV operator’s offer for a contract extension.

Dish network packages no contract