Sports
DirecTV and Disney reach deal to end ESPN, ABC blackout
After a 13-day blackout, Walt Disney Co. and DirecTV settled their contentious contract dispute early Saturday, restoring ESPN, ABC stations and other Disney-owned channels for more than 10 million DirecTV subscribers.
DirecTV and U-Verse customers have been frustrated by the loss of Disney programming since talks broke down on Sept. 1.
Both companies were motivated to reach a deal before the kickoff of another weekend of ESPN and ABC college football, ABC’s telecast of the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday and the second week of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” featuring a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons. ABC’s new primetime season also begins later this month.
The nearly two-week battle has been costly. Thousands of subscribers canceled their service during the blackout, DirecTV acknowledged earlier this week. The satellite TV giant wanted to stop the bleeding.
After marathon negotiations, the companies said they reached an “agreement in principle,” which contains hikes in the fees DirecTV pays for Disney programming. Earlier this week, DirecTV alerted subscribers that it planned to raise prices on some bundles next month due to higher programming costs.
DirecTV came away with wins in the new contract, too. It gained the ability to offer Disney channels in genre packages, including sports, general entertainment and a “kids & family” package. DirecTV also can offer Disney’s streaming services, including Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ to customers who subscribe to certain packages as well as on an a la carte basis.
“Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more
flexible options,” the companies said in a joint statement. “DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV customers.”
The dispute underscored the strain facing traditional pay-TV distributors amid the shift to streaming.
A shrinking pool of big-bundle subscribers increasingly has been asked to shoulder higher programming expenses.
The cost of carrying broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) and sports networks, including ESPN, has skyrocketed as programmers look to pass on fee increases they’ve agreed to pay sports leagues. ESPN is the most expensive basic cable channel, costing pay-TV distributors nearly $10 a month per subscriber home.
Sports costs became a major rub in the recent dispute. Another sticking point was Disney’s requirement that its channels be available in most of the DirecTV and U-Verse homes.
Disney has long demanded that its channels reach about 90% of DirecTV’s subscriber base. ESPN’s minimum threshold is around 82%.
Pay-TV companies such as DirecTV must pay penalties if they fail to meet that “minimum penetration.”
Heading into negotiations, DirecTV girded for battle with a goal of relaxing those thresholds. DirecTV wanted looser requirements so it could offer its customers smaller, genre-themed bundles at lower prices.
DirecTV executives argued that it was unsustainable to force customers to buy a “bloated bundle” filled with expensive channels they don’t watch. Most consumers watch fewer than 30 channels, they said.
Disney countered that programming is expensive and that it has been investing heavily in high-quality content.
Neither side was eager to prolong a battle that antagonized customers. Already, more than 4 million U.S. customer homes dropped pay TV in the first six months of the year, according to research firm MoffettNathanson.
Disney and DirecTV still generate billions of dollars in revenue from traditional pay-TV packages and they want to keep the spigot running. Disney receives about $2 billion a year from DirecTV, MoffettNathanson said.
Unlike cable distributors that also offer high-speed internet and phone service, DirecTV is focused solely on selling video channel packages, including U-Verse, since the company’s 2021 spinoff from AT&T. The El Segundo firm, which has lost more than half of its subscribers from a decade ago, could ill afford to chase away more customers and began offering $30 credits to encourage them to stay during the blackout.
Early on, Disney said it was willing to work with DirecTV to craft genre-themed bundles, such as children’s and family entertainment, local broadcast stations and sports.
“Disney talking openly about smaller bundles is a major inflection point strategically and likely points to where the industry is ultimately headed,” Lightshed Partners media analyst Rich Greenfield wrote in a report.
But the two companies spent days haggling over the penetration rates. Negotiators spent long hours trading proposals since the blackout began, despite trading barbs publicly.
Blackouts have become increasingly common as industry economics erode. Last year, Disney channels went dark for nearly 12 days on Charter Communications’ Spectrum service during a similar tussle over fees and flexibility to offer Disney’s streaming services to its customers at no additional charge.
Charter, DirecTV and other distribution executives have chafed at Disney’s efforts to bypass distributors to offer its programming directly to consumers. Disney plans to roll out ESPN as a streaming service next year.
The Burbank giant also teamed up with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox Corp. this year to offer a $43-a-month package of sports channels called Venu. But last month, a federal judge granted a temporary injunction, scuttling the fall launch of Venu, on antitrust grounds.
Distributors view such services as direct threats to their businesses.
DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun also said that Disney’s general counsel asked DirecTV to waive any legal claims against Disney that allege antitrust behavior as part of any distribution deal. That, too, became a sticking point during negotiations.
Last weekend, DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission alleging Disney has not been negotiating in good faith and its tactics were anticompetitive.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino released a statement on Monday addressing his interactions with President Donald Trump amid USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun’s suspended one-game ban.
Trump told reporters he asked Infantino if FIFA would review the play. Infantino said in his release that “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent” and “operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino answers questions during a 2026 soccer World Cup news conference Thursday, June 16, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,” he said. “During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.
“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump as he receives the FIFA Peace Prize during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw. (Hector Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Balogun was given a red card after a VAR review to look at a play in which Balogun stepped on the ankle of a Bosnia and Herzegovina defender. He would have been suspended for the team’s match against Belgium but FIFA decided to suspend the one-game ban.
Trump addressed the controversy in the Oval Office.
“All I did was, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” the president said. “And again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.
“I think it’s a terrible … if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. I relayed it. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision and they made the right decision because, No. 1, it wasn’t a foul and you want to see a game with your best players.”
Trump said the feeling would be the same if Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Harry Kane would have been given a red card in a similar way.
He also took issue with the call itself.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a news conference at the stadium in Mexico City on June 10, 2026, a day before the opening FIFA World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa. (Eduardo Verdugo/AP)
“If you would have taken him out, I think it would have really stained this incredible championship,” Trump continued. “We gotta have our best players and Belgium, Belgium’s got a great team by the way. We have our best players and they have to have their best. If we win or we lose, it’s fair. Otherwise, let’s say we lost to them, then we lost the game. It would be a terrible thing. I think they made a really brilliant decision.
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“I think the referee’s call was horrible and nobody talks about that. They talk about the red card like it’s fine. The referee’s decision to red card, I didn’t know what the hell a red card was and when I found out I said, ‘You gotta be kidding.’ … I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of power, that’s terrible.’ And then I looked at his past and it wasn’t so great.”
Belgium’s appeal was dismissed later Monday.
Rui Hachimura became the latest Lakers player to move on, agreeing to a two-year, $28-million deal with the Clippers on Monday, people familiar with the deal but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times.
Hachimura played at a high level for the Lakers in the playoffs, averaging 17.5 points per game in 10 postseason games, the third-highest average on the team.
He was a lights-out shooter, making 54.9 percent of his field goals and a sizzling 56.9 percent of his three-pointers, which ranked him fifth in three-point shooting during the NBA playoffs.
According to people familiar with the team but not authorized to speak publicly, some members of the Clippers coaching staff liked how Hachimura played and thought he would be a good pickup because of his shooting and athleticism.
The Lakers acquired Hachimura, 28, from the Washington Wizards in Jan. 2023. He spent three-plus seasons with the Lakers and was a favorite of his teammates.
His ability to knock down three-pointers from the corner opened up things for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, both of whom could rely on Hachimura to be ready to catch and shot even when he didn’t get many touches.
Over 68 games last season with the Lakers, 41 as a starter, Hachimura averaged 11.5 points and shot 51.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three-point range.
He started all 10 playoff games for the Lakers, scoring a playoff-high 25 points against the Thunder in 43 minutes, going nine-for-15 from the field, four-for-eight from three-point range.
Sports
England stuns Mexico 3-2 in instant World Cup classic, hands team first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca
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One of the tournament’s instant classics unfolded Sunday at the historic Estadio Azteca, where 87,500 screaming fans created a deafening atmosphere.
England weathered the storm, silencing the sea of green with a ruthless finishing display to escape with a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane combined to crush El Tri’s World Cup dreams. El Tri is a popular nickname for the Mexican men’s national team.
WORLD CUP ROUND OF 32 SOCCER PREVIEW AS ENGLAND, BELGIUM AND USA ALL SEEK REGULATION WINS ON A PACKED DAY
England’s Harry Kane buries a penalty kick to score his second goal against Mexico. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images))
In a stunning two-minute span in the first half, Bellingham struck twice, leaving Mexico’s defense completely shell-shocked.
But before halftime, Julian Quinones gave El Tri a lifeline. He buried a clutch goal, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
The second half was as electric as the first.
USA WORLD CUP STAR CALLS LACK OF APPEAL PROCESS FOR TEAMMATE’S RED CARD ‘BOGUS’
In the 53rd minute, England went down to 10 men after Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card. Suddenly, the momentum appeared to swing in Mexico’s favor.
England’s Jude Bellingham clears the danger as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford celebrates the crucial defensive stop. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images))
Instead of capitalizing on the numerical advantage, however, Mexico gifted England a golden opportunity.
Goalkeeper Raul Rangel recklessly brought down Anthony Gordon inside the penalty area, conceding a spot kick. Captain Harry Kane calmly stepped up and buried the penalty, restoring England’s two-goal cushion at 3-1.
Still, Mexico refused to fold.
In the 69th minute, the referee pointed to the spot once again, awarding Mexico a penalty after another frantic sequence inside England’s box.
Raul Jimenez confidently converted, cutting the deficit to 3-2 and setting up an edgy finish.
England’s Jude Bellingham (left) reacts after Mexico’s Julian Quinones scores their side’s first goal of the game during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match at Mexico City Stadium, Mexico. Picture date: Sunday July 5, 2026. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) ((Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images))
From there, England dug in, despite being down to 10 men. England absorbed wave after wave of Mexican pressure before hanging on for a gritty 3-2 victory, advancing to the quarterfinals against Norway.
England booked its place in the quarterfinals and handed Mexico its first-ever World Cup defeat at the Estadio.
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Traveling England supporters celebrated by belting out “Wonderwall” one more time.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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