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Why am I hearing that some of my Disney-owned TV channels, including ESPN, may go away?
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Stop acting like you are playing this negotiation game for the customer when it’s just for the shareholders. You made 55 billion dollars last year so you can certainly afford it. If you care about customers then get the channels back!
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I just can't associate Disney and Mickey Mouse with sports,
I don't know for how long Disney has an an ESPN contract. But when that contract expires, they should make the ESPN channels available to a buyer that loves sports, and make those channels ala-carte if that is what it takes,
Those in grandfathered packages keep ESPN. or they can call to get it off their bill. New customers have a choice to take ESPN at the rate increase, or choose not to take the channel. It would make everybody happier.
My local ABC has no connection to Disney and remains active. The loss of ESPN has been hard for a family member who loves Tennis.
Satch
PS. Moving to another provider does not grant immunity from the loss of service due to a contract-fee dispute. Every five years or so, all providers, (streaming or otherwise) have to pay a fee to the station owners, if they are not under "Must Carry Status." This is from the FCC Cable Communications Regulatory Act of 1992. Ninety five percent of the time, customers don't hear anything about these negotiations and deals are reached. The channels are owned by the broadcaster, and they set the price. Disney for example, might be insisting on $2.00 more per month from every subscriber, and Spectrum is saying, "No, that's too much money." would you accept 85 cents?" The price for new a carriage agreement usually goes somewhere between the two dollar amounts, so they might agree on say $1.05 more per month.
You might think $1.05 is not much. But there are 200-300 channels in the TV vendor world. And if Spectrum were to agree to say $2.00 more per month, every other provider when contract negotiations come up, is going to want $2.00 more per month Say you have 200 channels in your package, you would be paying $400 a month just to watch TV! That's the reason for these delays when they occur.
Satch
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What a bunch of….
all that matters is I’m paying for a package that is suppose to include all these channels…. From Spectrum!
are you… SPECTRUM, going to send me a credit for not living up to your commitment to me! What does it matter, this is probably an AI CHAT BOT that responds to these comments! Time to find a new service other than Spectrum!
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Get ESPN back now. I will not pay these prices and not be able to watch sports. Most people have the espn+, disney+, Hulu bundle already and don't care about your fight. Keep thus crap up and I will be going back to streaming my cable. Fix this shit now.
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I am at a hard point of trying not to cancel my spectrum account.We ask customer sign-up and have paid for a package that has the Disney channels and I feel right now we're being cheated. Spectrum and Disney has had over two years to come to some agreement with these two companies sitting and back and making us pay for there own greed.We love our sports and was looking forward to seeing our teams play and now many will have to go to over the air free T.V to watch any sports they offer while the two companies making billions of dollars play a waiting game.This is not right and we should make them pay for our losses. I have a brother who love to show me how much money he saves by using no internet and no cable..he purchased a new car paid in full while I am paiding for a new car by having it finance making payments.I for one needs my internet so I am keeping it for my ringer and other devices.However;since the main program I love watching is Sports and Dr.Pol on Wild channel because its a clean show I will give Spectrum til Monday 09/04/2023 9:00 a.m before calling to cancel and they will be oweing me money because I always paid 3 months ahead. I am faithful to a company that's unfaithful to its customers.In other words they lied to us when we signed up for the package and now we'll paying for that full package but only getting 20% percent of what we paid for.You had two years to work something out now you're using us as a bait. Both of these big companies pointing the finger at each other.We don't care who's at fault we just want what we signup and paid for.
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It's bad enough that I overpay for Spectrum's crappy service (I miss 1/4 to 1/3 of every other show I watch due to their incessant buffering) now, I miss the last two episodes of the season of What We Do In the Shadows because of Spectrum's issues with Disney....and let's be honest...Spectrum could pay, they don't want to because they know they'll lose customers if they raise their (already ridiculous) prices and they don't want to make even a little less profit to provide their customers with.....well, what they pay for! I think we deserve a refund/discount since we aren't getting what we are paying for.
Spectrum has been kind enough (sarcasm) to direct their customers to another service (that you have to pay for) ....FUBAR or something...no, wait FUBAR..that's Spectrum..
The only reason I haven't already dumped this POS company is because I'm lazy and it's a hassle...but, this is likely to be the final straw.
To anyone that is considering Spectrum.....run far, run fast.
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I signed up for DIRECTV streaming with a 5 day free trial to get through this weekend of football. That’s how long Spectrum has to keep my business. Sports programming and TiVo is the only reason I am still with cable as everything else is available OTA or via other alacarte streaming.
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This was from Disney on Friday, 9/1/2023: "We offered Charter an extension in the negotiations to keep our networks up and they declined in the middle of programming that is important to their subscribers, including the US Open."
(emphasis mine)
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I signed up for a 3 week free trial of YouTube TV. They have all of the disputed channels. Google Fiber recently became available and as soon as I can get them out here to set me up ... GOODBYE SPECTRUM!
As always, your mileage may vary.
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Really? So it's Disney's fault we're paying for a service we're not getting? Who's at fault since we LOST ABC 11 NEWS WTVD the day after getting hit by the hurricane? Pathetic regardless, putting peoples lives at risk w/a lack of information by the largest news station in the Carolina's.
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In the past, I would scoff at customers bitchin' about their cable carriers engaged in jousting with some provider or another. Well, the chickens have come home to roost and NOW, I'm one of those about ready to loose it on Spectrum.
If I have to read one more time, the self-serving, disingenuous, "customers...we care and are doing this for you"! BS! Spectrum's customer data, I'm sure, gives it a degree of latitude before it starts affecting subscribership numbers. Unfortunately for us-sportsfans, Disney/ESPN, is on that degrees of freedom foundation. UGH! I get it, but definitely not happy.
The other thing I'm not happy about is the fact that I'm paying premium prices to Spectrum for monthly access to services which are now less than what I contracted for, so will I be given a credit for services not provided. I don't who is at fault, all I know is that Spectrum gets my money and if it can't provide what I bought, I expect a refund.
Dawgger...about ready to lift my hind leg on Spectrum if it doesn't do the right thing!
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Spectrum & Disney have 30 minutes to quit USING my years of loyalty in their dispute or I will be saying goodbye to both forever. AT&T just installed fiber which will be available in a few week & I will be starting my 21 day free trial with YouTube TV at 7:00 am which I’ve used for several years thru my sons family access. Instead of paying blowhards like McAfee $85 million Disney should be cleaning up their own yard & Spectrum in the 30 years I’ve dealt with them has NEVER done anything in my interest. They know they can’t afford to jack their costs up any higher or everyone will leave. Disney will be doing this to every streaming service out there as contracts come due. Like most networks, they are in serious trouble & the Spectrums, DirectTVs, etc… of the world will either pay the price or else while Mickey hopes we just all switch to Hulu!! Good riddance!!
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Nice time to do this....first day of college football. Disney raising rates, but nothing about Spectrum raising mine every 6 months by $20 for one box for 100's of channels I don't want/need/watch. Rather than watch ESPN Gameday, I guess I'll spend my time researching streaming options.
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Signing up this morning for a free trial period of 7 days with another provider , if not back after this bye bye spectrum . It’s college football season , this family isn’t missing our Buckeyes .
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We are customers of Spectrum and signed up based on the offering of Disney channels like ESPN. I expect Spectrum to continue with this commitment. IT is unacceptable to drop ESPN the day before College Football season starts ! Spectrum needs to have started the process to resolve this months ago and is at fault. This has not happened at DirectTV, Hulu, etc - WHY ?? Do not blame Disney I blame Spectrum poor customer service - count me as a subscriber seeking options to CANCEL SPECTRUM !!!!
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Saturday morning and still not a word on the Spectrum website about what is going on. I was able to find out that the president of Spectrum is Chris Winfrey. Then I search on that name, and I find an article on Variety's website, of all places, about a call Mr. Winfrey had with investors yesterday explaining how it is time to blow up the current cable model.
Glad to see Mr. Winfrey will respond to his investors, while obviously not caring enough to inform his subscribers. If you want to be remembered as the Curt Flood of the cable industry, then at least have the guts to tell us that, so we can decide whether we want go along for the ride with you.
From your comments in the Variety article, it is apparent that this is not going to end any time soon. At least have the courtesy to post something on your website to that effect.
Mr Winfrey, I know that you have probably gone soft over the years, benefiting from being a monopoly, but with the advent of the streaming services, you should at least plan to attend some remedial Customer Service 101 training classes.
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I totally agree if the channels aren’t back, I am canceling my spectrum I will go to a different Internet service provider I don’t need cable TV I have Hulu plus and I have Amazon prime and I have Disney+ and I have Paramount+ so I’m good. I only have spectrum because I like FX and I like Nat Geo and I like ABC News so without those it’s worthless to me
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Is my bill going to be adjusted to compensate for the loss of the channels that I signed a contract with YOU to have
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Fix this issue now, Spectrum! You failed to apprise customers of this dispute until the last minute. You failed to provide viewing options for college football on opening day. I don’t care if my bill goes up by a few dollars a month to ensure that I have ESPN during College football season. If you had asked me that, or sought any consumer feedback, then you would know this. You do not have my best interest at heart and you are not on my side. If it’s not resolved by Saturday evening then I’m canceling Spectrum
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We have been unable to reach a market-based agreement with Charter Communications to continue carrying our networks. This means that you have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of live sports, kids, family and general entertainment programming from the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks, and the National Geographic channels. As a result, SportsCenter and exclusive live sports such as Monday Night Football and college football plus American Horror Story, Welcome to Wrexham, Life Below Zero, Mickey Mouse Funhouse, 31 Nights of Halloween and much more are no longer available with your Spectrum TV subscription.
Contact Spectrum and let them know you want to keep these networks.
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Disney and Spectrum, please stop holding your customers hostage. We are paying for MANY channels we are not receiving including all the ESPN channels, Disney, and others. Please, both Disney and Spectrum, put your greed aside and restore channels that your customers are PAYING FOR and NOT SEEING! Do either of you think this situation is helping to create goodwill with your paying customers? Restore the channels....restore the channels...restore the channels. I stream ESPN+ and Disney and pay for them yet I can't watch them because you require that I go through Spectrum to watch. We are disgusted with both of you! You need to refund us for the services we are paying for and not receiving. Resolve this issue.
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Could care less if Disney (ESPN) pulls the plug on Spectrum. Any more it’s nothing but a bunch of dummies spewing political BS
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You had this same problem the last time your Disney contract renewed! This is very, very disappointing! And, I hold you responsible that you did not prepare for this sooner. So, now, with the US Open going on, and with pro football ready to start, we customers have NO CHOICE but suffer through your contract negotiations! With no compensation on our monthly bills, I’m sure. I am seriously considering closing my Spectrum account and transferring to Dish or DirecTV.
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It bothers me that there was no warning, I find out the opening day of college football season that I am loosing ESPN. And that is on spectrum. The Disney company sucks and always has, just pure money hungry greedy people. But I alway want to know if my bill is going to be reduced also to compensate for the loosing of all the channels, cause if I add channels I have to pay for it…it should work in reverse too!
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College football season starts and we lose ESPN. Poor timing. I want a credit for every day we don’t have these channels.
I’m looking at Sling and it looks pretty good right now. I can get two ESPN channels and lots of others for $40 per month. I’m paying over $200 per month for the convenience of cable but it’s no longer convenient so now seems like a good time to switch to streaming and save $100 per month.
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I believe that it’s about time that we stop paying for all the items we don’t wast like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW, Sports, Disney Channels and game channels also home improvement channels, news channels. All the channels could be separated this way you want Sports pay more for that for this is what’s happening online. Do this now or the networks will keep doing this and prices will keep going up for channels we want and channels we don’t want. We are going online sooner than you think for there is more things to watch online screening services then ever before. Spectrum needs to Evolve.
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I'm not sure how Spectrum thinks they will survive this for very long. I know that I'm not alone in having Spectrum cable service only for sports; we watch no other channels. So losing all the ESPN channels plus ABC is an absurdity. Losing an entire weekend of football and Formula 1 coverage is pretty bad and if this lasts more than a few days we will have to cancel our service.
And as another commented above, it's ridiculous that there is no way to email Spectrum directly to voice concerns about this.
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Unless this problem is resolved shortly, I will be seeking a new provider. I look forward to watching sports and one of my favorite news channels is unavailable due to failure to negotiate. I am not the only spectrum customer who thinks this way.
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