Disney Challenges Charter/Spectrum — “Do You Care About Your Subscribers?”

Disney is in the middle of an important battle and we’ve got an update.

Due to a battle about contract fees and other issues, Disney-owned channels have been pulled from Charter’s Spectrum TV subscribers. This has left millions without access to things like ESPN, programming like Monday Night Football, and more. Disney has responded to the situation, saying that Charter “declined Disney’s offer to extend negotiations.” And now Disney has issued another update.

In a statement posted to the Walt Disney Company website, Disney referenced the US Open and how that is reaching the men’s and women’s finals, the opening of the NFL season, and college football, and accused Charter of deciding to “abandon their consumers by denying them access to Disney Entertainment’s great programming.”

Disney claimed that Charter has stated their “indifference” to the needs of their customers.

©ESPN

According to Disney, the question they have for Charter is clear — “Do you care about your subscribers and what they’re telling you they want—or not?”

Disney alleges that they are ready to “resolve this dispute and do what’s in the best interest of Charter’s customers.”

According to Disney, Charter rejected Disney’s offers to extend negotiations before taking Disney’s networks off their service on August 31st.

One key part of the dispute seems to be that Charter is demanding Disney’s direct-to-consumer services for free for its customers, which Disney has said “does not make economic sense.”

©Disney

In this latest statement, Disney notes that they’ve proposed some ways to “make its streaming services available to Charter’s Spectrum TV subscribers—including opportunities for new and flexible packages where those services become a focal point of what the consumer might choose.” But again they point out that Charter is demanding the services for free, which doesn’t make economic sense.

Disney has insisted that they’re ready to “end this dispute,” but they’ve shared that if the battle continues consumers can choose other things like “Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV Stream, YouTube TV, Sling, and Fubo—that allow them to enjoy the Disney Entertainment’s programming.”

It seems the Spectrum/Charter x Disney dispute is continuing for now, but we’ll have to see whether it can get resolved soon. In the meantime, Disney is offering a $1.99 deal on its Disney+ Basic subscription ahead of some price increases scheduled for its streaming services. Click here to learn more about that. And stay tuned for the latest news.