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July 31, 2025

Negotiations with ESPN/Disney Continue Ahead of Contract Expiration

Update – August 2

Good news! We’ve reached an agreement with ESPN/Disney. There will be no channel disruptions—your favorite networks will remain on air without interruption! We thank you for your patience and standing with us as we advocate for fair rates and terms during these negotiations. 

Update – August 1

We have a short extension with Disney until 7PM today, August 1, 2025, to continue discussions

Current Status – July 28

Our current agreement—covering 17 of their networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, FX, and Disney Channel—is set to expire on July 31.Talks are still active, but progress has been slow. ESPN/Disney’s opening proposal was aggressive, and despite several exchanges, there’s been little movement on their part.

They’re asking for:

  • High rate increases
  • Outdated rules like mandatory channel placement
  • Penalties that we feel are unfair to customers

Why It Matters

The traditional “Cable TV” industry has changed a lot and so have your viewing habits. The terms being demanded by ESPN/Disney don’t reflect today’s reality. We’re pushing for an agreement that’s fair, modern, and reasonable—both for you and for the long-term health of our service.

What to Expect

If a new agreement isn’t reached by July 31, ESPN/Disney’s channels could be temporarily removed from our lineup.

In Disney/ESPN’s four most recent contract disputes—with DirecTV (2024), Charter (2023), Dish TV (2022), and YouTube TV (2021)—each resulted in a temporary blackout of their channels. The length of the blackouts varied:

  • DirecTV: 14 days
  • Charter: 12 days
  • Dish TV: 2 days
  • YouTube TV: 1 day

Clearly, Disney has a history of negotiating right up until the deadline (or beyond), so while we’re hopeful, we also want to prepare you just in case.

Our Commitment to You

We’re working hard to protect your interests—fighting against unreasonable demands and standing firm for fairness, affordability, and flexibility. We’ll continue to keep you updated as the situation develops.