The Charter/Disney carriage dispute last fall included a provision that some Charter subscribers would receive access to ESPN+ with their subscriptions. On Thursday, those subscribers finally received that access.
Per a release, Charter’s Spectrum TV Select Plus subscribers now receive access to ESPN+ as part of their service. This was part of the carriage deal between Charter and Disney announced six months ago, but the announcement didn’t come until today.
The deal also included access to Disney+ Basic for those subscribers, which was activated in January.
“Through our collaboration with Disney we are providing a better experience for our customers,” said Tom Montemagno, Executive Vice President, Programming Acquisition for Charter. “Making ESPN+ available to our TV Select Plus customers allows us to cater to sports fans’ evolving viewing habits with one high-value video package that includes the best of linear and direct-to-consumer sports content.”
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“The addition of ESPN+ to Spectrum’s offerings helps bridge the gap between linear TV and streaming services to provide a comprehensive entertainment solution for Spectrum customers,” said Justin Connolly, President, Platform Distribution, The Walt Disney Company. “Spectrum TV Select Plus customers will now have access to ESPN’s linear and direct-to-consumer content, making ESPN+ available to a wider audience and providing fans with even more ways to stay connected to the sports they love such as NCAA Women’s Basketball, FA Cup Soccer, NHL games and more.”
Charter has been using the carriage deal with Disney as a template for future carriage negotiations. In January, the company agreed to a new deal with TelevisaUnivision that included access to Vix, that company’s streaming service, for subscribers who receive TelevisaUnivision networks through their package.
The carriage deal between Charter and Disney also gives Charter customers access to the ESPN direct-to-consumer (DTC) service, which is expected to launch next year. Since the deal was announced, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery also announced the launch of a sports streaming joint venture, which wasn’t part of the Disney/Charter carriage deal.
[Charter]
