DirecTV subscribers unable to watch LSU-USC, Braves-Phillies, US Open due to carriage dispute with Disney

DirecTV subscribers who wanted to watch the LSU-USC football game on ABC, the Braves-Phillies game on ESPN or the U.S. Open tennis game on ESPN2 were left frustrated Sunday night when the satellite television provider canceled coverage in a broadcast dispute with Disney.

Disney Channels went dark shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern Time, less than a half-hour before LSU and USC were scheduled to tip off from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Fans in markets where ABC isn’t on a Disney-owned channel can still watch the network’s coverage. However, ABC owns stations in large markets, including the four largest in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Several subscribers on social media expressed their desire to watch the programming cut as events unfolded.

“DirecTV decided to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we were in the final week of the U.S. Open and preparing for college football and the NFL season opener,” said a statement from The Walt Disney Company and ESPN shortly after the channels went dark.

“While we are open to offering DirecTV the flexibility and terms we have extended to other distributors, we will not enter into a deal that undervalues ​​our portfolio of television channels and programming.”

The US Open also issued a statement to fans who were unable to watch ESPN’s coverage due to the transportation dispute.

“It is disappointing that fans and viewers across the country will not have the opportunity to see our sport’s top athletes compete at the 2024 U.S. Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN,” the statement read. “We hope this dispute can be resolved as soon as possible.”

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.