US Open fans unable to watch tournament as TV dispute impacts nearly 15 million

01 September 2023 , 19:15

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A blackout of ESPN channels on Spectrum began on Thursday night (Image: AP)

Television screens across the United States that should be showing the US Open are blank due to a dispute between Disney and the company behind TV provider Spectrum.

Customers began noticing the blackout on Thursday when switching on their TVs for the start of the night's standout college football game between the Florida Gators and the Utah Utes. The shock was sizeable as viewers could not tune in to see the nation's No. 14 team blowout their cross-conference opponents to start the season.

Anger has only grown throughout Friday as the ESPN blackout continues, meaning many are missing out on all the action underway at Flushing Meadows. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is equally unamused by the situation.

"We're very disappointed for our fans and viewers around the country that Spectrum and Charter could not resolve their dispute with Disney, resulting in a loss of ESPN coverage of Thursday night's matches," the national governing body's statement reads. "We're very hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible."

However, Spectrum has explained its position. "The Walt Disney Company, the owner of this channel, has removed their programming from Spectrum which creates hardship for our customers," reads the message displayed on millions of television screens across the US.

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"We apologize for the inconvenience and are continuing to negotiate in good faith in order to reach a fair agreement. 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. We are very disappointed with their position, which has negatively impacted our customers. Spectrum is on your side and fighting to keep costs down while protecting and maximizing customer choice."

This is the screen that greets Spectrum customers wanting to watch the US Open

The message continues: "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. Our negotiations are about one thing - reaching an agreement that is fair to our customers .

"We understand this is an inconvenience and hope to return this programming soon. We appreciate your loyalty and look forward to continuing to serve you."

Disney has also addressed the situation. “We’ve been in ongoing negotiations with Charter Communications for some time and have not yet agreed to a new market-based agreement," they said in a statement shared with the Hollywood Reporter.

"As a result, their Spectrum TV subscribers no longer have access to our unrivalled portfolio of live sporting events and news coverage. The statement adds: "Disney Entertainment has successful deals in place with pay TV providers of all types and sizes across the country, and the rates and terms we are seeking in this renewal are driven by the marketplace.

"We’re committed to reaching a mutually agreed upon resolution with Charter and we urge them to work with us to minimize the disruption to their customers.”

Matthew Abbott