ESPN goes dark on Spectrum cable as Disney and Charter feud over rates – just as college football season kicks off

ESPN and other Disney-owned channels have shut down on Charter’s Spectrum cable service, as the two companies escalate their dispute over pricing.

Disney pulled ESPN, ABC and its other cable channels from Spectrum on Thursday night, on the eve of the first major college football games and amid coverage of US Open tennis.

Spectrum serves huge markets, including New York and Los Angeles, and has some 32 million customers, many of whom are now furious over the loss of sports coverage.

At the time Disney pulled the plug, ESPN was showing a college football game between Florida and No. 14 Utah, while ESPN2 was showing the US Open tennis tournament.

“We are very disappointed for our fans and viewers across the country that Spectrum and Charter were unable to resolve their dispute with Disney, which resulted in the loss of ESPN coverage of Thursday night games,” said the USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier in a statement.

At the time Disney pulled the plug, ESPN was showing a college football game between Florida and No. 14 Utah, whose quarterback Bryson Barnes is seen above.

The college football season begins in earnest Saturday, with ESPN scheduled to air four major games: No. 20 Oklahoma vs. Arkansas State, Auburn vs. UMass, No. 23 Texas A&M vs. New Mexico, and UCLA vs. Coastal Carolina.

ABC is expected to carry No. 12 Tennessee against Virginia, No. 10 Washington against Boise State and No. 21 North Carolina against South Carolina.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” has long reigned as the preeminent Saturday morning pregame show, but faces new competition from Fox and its upstart “Big Noon Kickoff” and risks to lose fans if the dispute drags on.

Other cities where Charter Spectrum is the primary cable operator include Dallas/Fort Worth; Orlando Florida; Tampa, Florida; Kansas City, MO; Saint Louis; Cleveland; Cincinnati; Milwaukee; and Las Vegas.

The dispute primarily involves sports network ESPN, which lacks a streaming service and is a big cable draw, despite losing subscribers each year to cord cuts.

ESPN traditionally has the highest distribution fees for cable companies. According to S&P Global, Disney earns an average of $2.20 billion a year from hauling on Charter Spectrum under its 2019 haul deal.

Charter posted an on-screen message urging viewers to contact Disney. “We have offered Disney a fair deal, but they are demanding an excessive raise,” it read.

“The rising cost of programming is the biggest driver of rising cable TV prices, and we’re struggling to keep up with the programming rates that companies like Disney are charging us.”

Spectrum serves huge markets, including New York and Los Angeles, and has some 32 million customers, many of whom are now furious over the loss of sports coverage.

The US Open second round match between Carlos Alcaraz (left) and Lloyd Harris (right) was interrupted for Spectrum viewers when Disney pulled its channels.

Disney hit back in a statement to DailyMail.com saying, “Charter has declined to enter into a new agreement with us that reflects market-based terms.”

“Contrary to their claims, we have offered Charter the most favorable terms in pricing, distribution, packaging, advertising and more,” the statement added.

Charter said Friday that ESPN is the “mainstay” of his video business. Its shares fell 3.6 percent, while Disney lost 2.4 percent.

“Disney may have more to lose than Charter,” Rosenblatt Securities said, predicting the company could lose billions in profits from its traditional television business each year if a deal is not struck.

“A prolonged fight with Charter could accelerate Disney’s DTCs (direct-to-consumer plans).”

Analysts said Disney was reluctant to quickly roll out a DTC plan for ESPN because it needs cash from its profit engine to fund the loss-making streaming service, Disney+.

CEO Bob Iger said in July that Disney wanted to find a strategic partner for ESPN to form a joint venture or buy a stake to help bring it directly to consumers.

“Charter and Disney are ideal partners to establish a hybrid linear television and direct-to-consumer model,” Charter’s president of product and technology Richard DiGeronimo said Friday.

The company, which serves more than 32 million customers in 41 states, paid about $2.2 billion in annual programming costs to the entertainment giant.