Disney Network Channels Go Dark On DirecTV Over Carriage Dispute | Disney Plus News

coming up I'm going to be talking about Disney's dispute with Direct TV but before we go any further make sure you do hit that subscribe button to keep up with the latest Disney plus news hi everyone it's watch your here Fone what's on at disneyplus.com it's time for a quick Disney plus news rup and today we're going to be talking about some major news that broke overnight which is that Disney and Direct TV have now gone into blackout mode because now you can no longer watch Disney channels on Direct TV that includes Disney Channel Nat Geo you've also got FX and obviously the big one ESPN now this negotiations do signed a 5-year deal back in 2019 it expired yesterday and in middle of one of the matches of the US Open it just went blank and now there's a screen basically telling you that there's a dispute going on now this has been a very difficult and tricky situation so let's kind of break it down so the major thing right now is um both companies are both sort of slinging mud at each other telling all their customers that it's the other person's fault nothing that they day do it's all the the other person fault so let's break down what the issues are right now so obviously cable TV is in a massive problem they are losing subscribers each and every month the viewership numbers are dropping and companies like Direct TV are trying their best to try and keep people locked in they're trying to keep people coming back and that's what they want to do and the way that they want to do this is they want to start offering a much more slim down cable package where you can get less channels and more importantly maybe you just get the sports stuff or you just get the entertainment things because they know that people don't like paying this a huge amount of money for all the cable channels now it's kind of unique with the us because they've kind of had this system where you had to have all the channels or none of the channels here in the UK it always worked a little bit different we always had the different bundles if you wanted the entertainment package the sports package or the movie package you could do what you wanted and have a combination of the three so it's always been like that here in the UK so it's kind of a bit weird really um but the US they've never done that so therefore unsurprisingly they don't want to change it too much but they know that the industry is changing Disney wants to keep that thing rolling they want to keep getting that money and they've stated that they view that um they offered Direct TV some different options for example last year with Spectrum TV they offer Disney plus with ads included in the bundle in exchange for some of the channels closing down um that apparently has been offered as well there's even reports that maybe they've even been offered the option of doing a sportson package similar to what happen with venue sports but venue Sports is a whole other issue that we need to get in on but so the general gist of it is um Disney wants either the same bundle or the same deal with maybe some more money and Direct TV wants a completely new package different pricing structure and everything and they can't agree on a price now Direct TV over the weekend has been kind of like throwing shade at Disney kind of saying well you know they've put it out in the public and you know they they're unwilling to negotiate and also the other way around Disney's been like they're not willing to to negotiate with us now no doubt either side you know people are going to be on either side there's very much a case of the anti- Disney thing no matter what they do they're at fault and then you got the anti-ir TV people that are like screw you guys I'm off the YouTube TV you know then that's kind of the way it goes and I think this is the big issue is obviously with cable is that if you're watching these channels you're paying for them and now you don't have access to it so you're going to be a customer you're going to be pissed off but the ultimate thing is is you can just go okay you know message them email them whatever it is cancel it and you can fire up YouTube TV and then you can start watching the TV shows you can get um fubo you could get Hulu live TV you can get access to those channels very very quickly within minutes by signing up to another service and this is the big problem for Direct TV is they need to adapt they need to change because they know cable TV is a dying industry but I do think Disney are also trying to take advantage of the situation just trying to get as much money out of it before it completely goes they're also using the fact that it's the start of the NFL season so there's more pressure audience are even more likely to make a big move now and the simple truth is is that once those people leave Direct TV because of this situation they're probably never coming back now Disney has put out a statement saying that Direct TV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to their content just as we head into the final week of the US opening gear for the college football and the opening of the NFL season while we are open to offering Direct TV flexibility in terms of what we've extended to other Distributors we will not enter into an agreement that will undervalue our portfolio of television channels and programs we invest significantly to deliver the number one brands in entertainment news and sports because that's what our viewers expect and deserve we urge Direct TV to do what's the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming meanwhile Direct TV has also put out a statement now this was a little bit longer but I'm just going to bring out some of the key bits the head of Direct TV went on to say that the worldt Disney company is once again refusing any accountability to customers distribution partners and now the American judicial system Disney is in the business of creating alternative realities but this is a real world where we believe you earn your weight and must answer to your own actions they want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers making it harder for them to select the shows and sports that they want at a reasonable price he went on to say customer frustration is at an all-time high as Disney shifts its best producers most Innovative shows top teams conferences and entire leagues to their direct consumer services while making customers pay more than once for the same programming on multiple different Disney platforms and Disney's only magic is forcing prices to go up while simultaneously making its content disappear now he also um called out the fact that Disney are closing down it's apps like Disney now and ABC and you know giving less value to their customers now obviously Disney have counted with that going well we're going to give you access to Disney plus with ads so that's their kind of way of getting around that one which I do think makes sense from a business point of view um but again Direct TV is you know they're putting out this kind of idea that Disney's all at fault and you know you know they're trying to get out of it the simple truth is is Direct TV is trying to keep its customers and they want to survive they we're in a bit of a catch 22 they're both playing chicken of who needs each the simple truth is Disney doesn't need direct TV they can all their content can go somewhere else and especially once the launch of ESPN Flagship starts next summer where all of the ESPN content will be available on the ESPN app within Disney plus and you're going to be able to go completely around cable and this is the big problem direct to Consumer basically goes around the cable customers they don't need them and this is obviously Disney's going to want to have those 10 plus million subscribers but let's say a few million of them quit Direct TV and go to YouTube or Hulu this Disney still get their money that's the the trp of it and this time next year with the launch of the ESPN thing they are essentially at this point where these cable companies they're no longer as important as they once were and they've kind of lost that leverage of you know essentially Disney's in a much more powerful situation of yes they want that money from Direct TV and they're established from it but they don't need it in the same way that Direct TV needs it because simple truth is is that if they don't have those networks and especially ESPN so many of their customers are going to bail um they want a a SL slim dying uh system and I think we're definitely at a point now where you know we probably are going to need it and I do think that Disney opened up Pandora's box with this whole venue sport situation so how that worked is they obviously going to launch venue Sports which was going to combine with Warner Brothers Discovery Fox offer all their like linear channels through streaming for about 43 bucks a month it was supposed to launch last month obviously fubo didn't like it they took it to court and they won a temporary injunction it's going to go to court probably in February next year it's blocking the launch of it and na said it was uncompetitive and to trust because this is where Direct TV is kind of coming talking about how all of this stuff that's come from it and they're trying to pee back the power off of there I'm not sure if it's going to work because ultimately as I said um Disney might need that money and they whether or not they come to an agreement that's going to be the big thing who's going to Blink first does is Direct TV going to be losing enough customers that they start going look we need this we're going to have to make some kind of deal is Disney going to be like we want that you know 10 plus million every single month plus you know we want that so we're going to try get that coming in it is a very tricky situation um again this whole thing with venue Sports has really opened up Disney might be like look we will'll offer you an ESPN bundle and you know we'll offer you you know an Entertainment Bundle kind of thing or I don't know how they're going to do it but they're going to want to offer everything on alak cart and the simple truth is I don't think they can do everything on alak cart I mean who's going to sit there and go yeah can you add a dollar to my subscription or 50 cents for free form that Geo but I don't want that Geo Wild that just is going to be a lot of admin a lot of um things and also those channels are probably not going to have enough subscribers and viewers to make it warrant I do think those channels on a whole if they don't return to Direct TV those channels are very much days numbered anyway some of those ones that got removed from Spectrum I think you know the little smaller channels free form that goo World Etc I don't think they're going to be long for the world if they don't get and I think they're going to be gone either way even if there's a new deal those channels probably aren't going to come back and if there is a new deal I I just can't some of these channels existing cuz we're in a world where things are different um all the focus really is on ESPN but there is there is some argument that obviously Direct TV is right in the fact that Disney's been re focusing all of its efforts on streaming moving its content there moving its best stuff there and cable customers are kind of getting sort of a worst case scenario we're also getting that kind of weird thing where so much of streaming is still controlled by this cable system of next day episodes exists because cable had the right to get them first you know and I think you know uh the existence of Disney now all of this is because of the cable system it's all falling to pieces and they're all fighting for scraps to try and keep it going the simple truth is is Direct TV is a cable company that um you know they need customers and they need content Disney has the content they're at a much more upper hand and the simple truth is is you can go around um these cable companies and get it from other places and that does change the dynamic um Disney does isn't going to undale it stuff you know and there is that argument of Disney is spending billions of dollars buying Sports rights and creating all these shows and Direct TV you know uses that content to try and make some money off of it direct to Consumer takes out the middleman and Direct TV is the middleman and I think we are going to see more cable companies having this issue more changes there is and I don't think there is a simple thing of both companies both companies have been accused you know of corporate greed and all that's what they're there for they're companies are there to make money they're not there to be a friend they're not there to be um charitable Services these are there to make money and they are negotiating to try and do it they're both trying to play the pr game to try and get it to spin some people will obviously will pick Direct TV side because anything Disney do do some people will just be like they're in the wrong no matter what Disney does it's in the wrong Direct TV trying to use his fubo things of trying to get around they want to completely restructure cable the simple truth is Disneyland itself is not going to be the only reason for it you know you're going to have the other companies as well but cable TV is less and less important there are less subscribers to cable TV today than there was yesterday and there'll be less tomorrow there probably even less Direct TV customers tomorrow there is going to be this that's just continuing to decline as they're going to go around it that we are going to get to a point where you know you're going to be able to get access to ESPN and all these channels and stuff and you're not going to need these cable companies and they are and I I think that bit gets a little bit thing of Direct TV is throwing all this you know this mud away but they are fighting to keep this content because they know if they don't get it they're going to be gone and Direct TV has already been spun off into another company this could be a way of kind of doing stuff I don't know some cable companies are closing down because they just can't can't afford to run anymore but I do think we're at a point where this is going to have a major implication on the future of cable television it could speed up the decline or it could stretch it out longer if they do all these smaller bundles it's going to be interesting to see what happens over the coming week now the big NFL game obviously is going to be a big like thing for them to get it sorted I'm not expecting a result um probably early part of this week they might go it could go longer they might never come to an agreement that's the key thing with these blackouts you know it always was that thing of well eventually you know Direct TV has been in a dispute with Fox Dave's channels have never come back over a year plus later Warner Brothers Discovery has been in a dispute with UB TV those channels never came back the simple truth is they don't need them anymore you're no longer the days when you were locked into cable and if they'd lost the access to it you had no other way of getting access to it because they were the only cable company in your street and you couldn't move and you had to do it and so therefore the cable companies had these entertainment companies like Disney they had them mod and they could be like you well we we need it now we can go around them and yeah it's a very very very different situation um I wouldn't like to say which way it's going to go but it's going to be very very interesting to see what happens with the situation let me know your comments below I love to hear your thoughts on all of this um which which you I always think it's kind of weird thing who do you agree with and I think there you can agree with both and you can disagree with both ultimately you know people are going to be like you know the consumer is the only one that is going to be losing out especially customers that are paid for it and this is the other thing is if they aren't getting PA if they are paying for it and they haven't got access to it they going to get a refund are they going to get their packages reduced in price you know it can go both ways so it's going to be interesting to see how all this comes together but let me know what you think I'd love to hear your thoughts on this go check us out over at whatson disneyplus.com and obviously if there's any major updates I will be doing on this video but also more importantly on the website any news as I get it it will be up there straight away but on that note guys thank you very much see you guys soon laters [Music]