DirecTV files FCC complaint against Disney for anti-competitive practices

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

September 8, 2024 12:38 PM EDT Updated 6 hours ago


Sept 8 (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider DirecTV has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), accusing Walt Disney (DIS.N) of failing to negotiate in good faith and engaging in anticompetitive behavior, the company said on Sunday.

In the complaint, DirecTV said Disney has imposed unreasonable conditions on the renewal of their distribution agreement, including demands for bundling and penetration requirements that a federal court recently ruled unlawful.

DirecTV also said that Disney has insisted on a "fat bundle" of channels, forcing the carrier to offer less popular programming while Disney provides consumers with cheaper, "skinnier" packages. A Disney spokesperson, in response, said the company continues to negotiate with DirecTV and urged it to finalize a deal that would prioritize customers.

"We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The dispute has already resulted in over 11 million DirecTV subscribers losing access to Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ahead of the National Football League season.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/directv-files-fcc-complaint-against-disney-anti-competitive-practices-2024-09-08/

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

1. Canceled my direct tv this weekend

I get the issue with Disney/ESPN, but they sent out an email on Friday that came off as completely tone-deaf, telling me my bill is going up by $9. The increase was likely planned before the whole ESPN dispute, but it feels off considering I don’t even have access to ESPN right now.

[cstanleytech]

2. We cancelled them years ago and went with Hulu.

[Dem2theMax]

3. I'm canceling in the next week.

I'm paid up through September 22nd, so they're getting a phone call this coming week. Can't wait to be put through a million different reasons why I shouldn't cancel. Hate to tell them that none of those reasons will work on me.

[meow2u3]

4. I'm canceling this coming week

I'm going to go back to cable. Cutting the cord is not working for me, between fewer channels offered by Sling or Youtube TV and the games Disney are playing with customers.

[hueymahl]

5. This is 100% Disney

They are insisting that EVERYONE be force fed ESPN, at $5 per subscriber, even if you never watch ESPN. Its a tax on non-sports fans. DirecTV is actually the good guy here (and I don't say that lightly). The the rodent at the heart of Disney is the evil one.

[Sewa]

7. You are correct

Disney is the bad guy in this. They are trying to recoup the billion dollars they are paying to destroy the PAC-12 conference. I hate Disney for what they have done to college sports.

[meow2u3]

8. I do watch ESPN

I'm a sports junkie and have been so since I was a kid. I am suffering "withdrawal" with the Disney blackout. I can't even get ABC, my local broadcast channel.

[AverageOldGuy]

6. Stuck out here in rural Virginia . . .

. . . where the choices are DirecTV, Dish, or an undependable cable system. We have DirecTV. For all it's flaws, it's reliable and provides more teevee than we need.

The squabble between DirecTV and Disney has led to Disney cutting off ESPN, all ESPN channels, and CBS from DirecTV. As a result,. we were not able to watch the second week of the US Open tennis tourney, nor could we see Alabama football. Now, we can do without the tennis tourney, but depriving us of Alabama football is a sacrilege, akin to pissing in the holy water.

Seriously, all this intended to drive us little people to streaming services, all of which are owned by the same few billionaires who own the networks, so, streaming or satellite or cable -- our molnthly charges all flow into the pockets of the same few billionaires who need a few more million in income to afford another yacht.

Now that I think about it, the French Revolution with the guillotine was a good idea.