DirecTV Disney Blackout: Networks Restored with Deal Reached

A man lounging on a couch streams from his phone to a television in a living room.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

DirecTV and Disney had a face-off this month, and while it's now resolved, it wasn't without its impacts. In one corner, DirecTV, the U.S.’s third-largest pay TV provider, and in the other corner, the ultimate media giant, locked in a dispute over the terms of a new distribution deal for Disney-owned content.

The companies failed to resolve their differences before DirecTV’s rights to carry ESPN, ABC and other Disney-owned programming expired, which meant some channels went dark at the start of September — part-way through the US Open tennis tournament and just as NFL and college football seasons were getting underway.

The content blackout affected around 11 million customers for nearly two weeks. This past weekend, the companies announced they'd reached a preliminary agreement, and Disney networks were restored for DirecTV customers.

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During the blackout, DirecTV offered impacted customers a $20 credit they had to go claim. Now that the blackout is over, however, the credit is no longer on offer.

How to get a DirecTV blackout credit

Any time you are missing channels you should have on DirecTV, like with this blackout, you can head to the company's TV Promise page to see if you're eligible for a credit.

On that page, you select your TV service from the drop-down menu and enter your zip code. Next, select the "Search" button to check for service disruption in your area and see if you're eligible for a one-time credit offer. Third, if you do qualify, go to the "Explore bill credits" section of the TV Promise page and select the appropriate button to initiate a $20 credit.

Now that the Disney blackout is over, if you search your information, you'll likely see there are no available credits, since the channels have been restored.

But if you already applied for the credit and are wondering where it is, DirecTV advised: “Blackout credits can take up to two billing cycles until they appear on your DIRECTV bill. If you currently have a pending blackout credit on your bill, you’ll need to wait for the next bill cycle to request a new blackout credit.”

Will a blackout happen again?

As well as all ESPN network channels and ABC-owned stations, Disney-branded channels Freeform, FX and National Geographic channel went dark on DirecTV for almost two weeks. Last year, a similar disagreement between Disney and Charter Communications, which owns the Spectrum TV service, lasted 12 days.

The new deal between DirecTV and Disney, according to Variety, is preliminary, but the channels are restored "while both parties work to finalize a new, multiyear contract." The hope is that if this is a multiyear contract, customers won't face a similar situation at least for a few years.

Meanwhile, DirecTV customers will have to pay more for the service soon. The company announced new prices will be taking effect October 6.

Charlotte comes to Kiplinger with more than two decades of experience in print and online journalism in the UK, with a focus on consumer rights, personal finance and law. She has worked for leading consumer rights organisation Which? and the UK government, and studied modern and medieval languages at the University of Cambridge.