Why is ESPN not working on Spectrum? Dispute on deal continues

New Yorkers missed out on college football, U.S. Open tennis and Disney content Thursday night as a dispute between Charter Communications and Disney blacked out ESPN channels for Spectrum cable subscribers.

Professional tennis player and Buffalo native Jessica Pegula's second round U.S. Open match was included in the sporting events missed by viewers.

Charter says it has approximately 14.7 million "video subscribers" via Spectrum. The blackout applies to 19 different Disney-owned cable channels, Spectrum says, but college football fans took note with the blackout going into effect right around the 8 p.m. ET kickoff of Thursday night's biggest game.

What Spectrum is saying

Spectrum released the following statement, much of which they displayed on ESPN and other Disney channels in lieu of regular broadcasts, along with a message to "voice your concerns" at DisneyESPNFairDeal.com:

"The Walt Disney Company has removed their programming from Spectrum which creates hardship for our customers.

"We offered Disney a fair deal, yet they are demanding an excessive increase.

"They also want to limit our ability to provide greater customer choice in programming packages forcing you to take and pay for channels you may not want.

"Spectrum is on your side and fighting to keep costs down while protecting and maximizing customer choice.

"The rising cost of programming is the single greatest factor in higher cable TV prices, and we are fighting hard to hold the line on programming rates imposed on us by companies like Disney.

"We apologize for the inconvenience."

When will the blackout end?

It's tough to tell.

As George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, notes, Disney and Google got into a similar standoff in 2021 that kept ESPN off YouTube TV for several days.

And a permanent drop of ESPN and other Disney-owned channels is possible, representatives for Spectrum said Friday after a dispute between the cable company and Disney caused blackouts for customers.

ESPN blackout: ESPN goes dark for Spectrum cable subscribers amid Disney-Charter Communications dispute

How to watch ESPN without Spectrum

Sling TV

Sling TV's Orange plan has 32 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Right now, get your first month of Sling Orange for $20. The subscription charge is $40 per month after that.

YouTube TV

You can stream major broadcasts and cable networks, including ESPN, with YouTube TV. You can also record broadcasts and add up to six accounts per household.

The subscription fee for YouTube TV is $72.99 per month, but you can start with a free trial.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is the streaming service owned by ESPN and The Walt Disney Co. ESPN+ does not provide access to ESPN's traditional TV content, but it does air other shows and sporting events.

An ESPN+ subscription costs $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year.

Fubo

Fubo offers ESPN and other channels, plus the ability to record your favorite shows to the Cloud DVR. The subscription service is $74.99 per month. You can try the service with a free trial first.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV offers over 90 channels, including ESPN, plus access to ESPN+ and Disney+. Get a subscription for $69.99 per month.

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers four streaming packages ‒ Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier ‒ and ESPN is offered on all of them. Right now, you can subscribe to the Entertainment package for $74.99 per month.

USA TODAY reporter Jace Evans and Cincinnati Enquirer reporters Victoria Moorwood and Annasofia Schere contributed to this report.

Emily Barnes is the New York State Team Consumer Advocate Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Why is ESPN not working on Spectrum? Dispute on deal continues