Disney stations, including ABC, ESPN, FX and Disney Channel, are back on Dish and Sling TV after the two parties reach a preliminary agreement, Deadline has reported. A total of 17 Disney channels went out of service on Friday, October 1, due to a dispute over a carriage.
“We have reached a handshake agreement with Dish/Sling TV that accurately reflects the fair market value and terms for The Walt Disney Company’s content,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. “As a result, we are pleased to temporarily restore our portfolio of networks as both parties work to finalize a new deal.”
Dish had accused Disney of “holding viewers hostage for negotiation leverage, claiming it wanted to include ESPN and ESPN2 in non-sports packages.” At the same time, Disney said Dish had not made the company a fair offer to keep ESPN and National Geographic on Dish/Sling TV. “After months of negotiating in good faith, Dish has refused to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for the further distribution of our networks,” the company said. Variety Friday in a statement.
Last year, Disney channels disappeared from YouTube TV in December due to a similar dispute, only to return just a day later. Meanwhile, HBO and Cinemax popped up on Dish in 2018 and only reappeared last year (along with HBO Max). According to Q2 2022, Dish and Sling TV combined had about 10 million US subscribers statistic.
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