As the Disney-Charter dispute continues, the companies are now slugging it out with dueling offers to streaming services. On Friday, Disney came out with a promotion offering a $20 per month discount to Hulu + Live TV lowering the fee from $69.99 to $49.99 for three months. But now, Spectrum customers are receiving texts for a free trial for its preferred service, Fubo.
Those texts started to go out Saturday. Several customers, including Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal and Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, posted the texts on social media:
A text from Spectrum. pic.twitter.com/UYYu8mxoe0
— Joe Flint (@JBFlint) September 9, 2023
Spectrum texting me pic.twitter.com/B2nI6xYBX5
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) September 9, 2023
Just received this text from @GetSpectrum Lol!!
If you want to keep me as a customer FREE FUBO trial isn’t going to cut it. Now if you take $100 off my bill we might have a deal. @Ask_Spectrum pic.twitter.com/3XKciv1J25
— Lisa (@lmyarbro) September 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/BIG10Bruin/status/1700551424416117089?s=20
This shows that both Charter and Disney are digging in their heels on this carriage dispute. Other fights between providers have been resolved relatively quickly, but instead, this one appears to be for the long haul.
Last week, Charter offered Spectrum customers a $20 discount to Fubo’s Elite tier, normally $84.99/month to $64.99. Then Disney countered with a Hulu + Live TV promotion, but with no discount. That was followed by the new Disney limited-time promotion of $49.99 per month to Hulu for three months.
The Fubo free trial is nothing new. It’s been offered since the streaming service began. But now with Charter providing its customers with the free trial, we’ll see how many customers decide to sign up to take advantage so they can watch the ESPN networks, ACC Network, SEC Network, and ABC owned-and-operated stations in several major markets like New York and Los Angeles.
As the Charter-Disney heavyweight fight continues into its third week, it appears the two sides will continue to offer Spectrum subscribers promotions to their preferred streaming services until one side breaks or an agreement is made. Right now, it seems that we are not even close to a resolution.
About Ken Fang
Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.
He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.
Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.