Source: Mario Tama / Getty / Spectrum
Spectrum customers breathed a sigh of relief on Monday, September 11, when Spectrum’s owner, Charter and Disney struck a last-minute deal.
The new deal between Charter and Spectrum came in the nick of time, delivering millions of Spectrum subscribers to channels like ABC and ESPN so they could watch the premiere of Monday Night Football and watch Aaron Rodgers’ debut season as a New York Jet come to an abrupt end.
Engadget reports the new deal will come with streaming-related perks for Spectrum subscribers, like access to ESPN’s standalone streaming service that is currently still in the works.
Per Engadget:
Those subscribers will also have access to the ad-supported basic tier of Disney+ in the coming months, while Spectrum TV Select Plus customers will be able to check out ESPN+ as part of their plan. According to CNBC, Charter will pay higher subscriber fees to Disney.
It seems that Charter customers having access to ad-supported versions of Disney’s streaming services was a point of contention between the companies before they finally reached a deal. In the meantime, Disney started offering Hulu + Live TV at a discounted rate of $50 a month for three months (the usual rate is $70) ahead of a price increase in October.
As part of the new deal, Spectrum subscribers will gain access to 19 of the Disney-owned networks, including the Disney Channel, FX, the Nat Geo Channel, and ABC-owned networks.
More than 32 million Spectrum subscribers have been in the dark since August 31 due to the dispute. While it was going on, both companies’ stock prices took a hit, with Reuters reporting Spectrum’s shares fell 2% due to ESPN not being available to customers, while Disney’s shares fell to 2.7%.
—
Photo: Mario Tama / Getty
