Walt Disney asked Spectrum cable subscribers to think about moving to Hulu’s live television alternative as the media companies continue to disagree over a new distribution agreement.
Disney expressed its expectation that it would be able to reach a deal to bring back access to ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels that have been blocked on Charter’s service since last Thursday in a blog post on Monday.
Disney recommended Spectrum subscribers join up for Hulu + Live TV, a streaming service that provides ESPN, ABC, Disney+, and dozens of other cable channels, in the absence of a contract. Disney holds the majority of Hulu’s shares.
“Despite the ongoing dispute, consumers have many other choices—such as Hulu + Live TV—that allow them to enjoy the great programming for which Disney Entertainment is known,” the company said in a statement.
Disney stated in the blog post that there are no contracts, no cable boxes, and no waiting periods for subscribers.
The company’s social media accounts received a similar statement from it.
During the U.S. Open tennis tournament and other live sporting events, such as college football, Disney last week removed its channels from Charter’s Spectrum cable package.
Disney’s demand for revenues for its programmes at a time when cable TV viewing is declining and streaming is increasing is a contributing factor in Charter’s conflict with Disney.
Christopher Winfrey, chief executive officer of Charter, stated on Friday that the dispute was “not the typical carriage dispute.”
Winfrey stated, “We’re either moving forward with a new collaborative video model or we’re moving on.”
The cable provider claimed that, after deducting the impact of advertising revenue for both sides, it had been paying Disney around $2.2 billion a year in programming expenditures. In places like New York and Los Angeles, Charter’s Spectrum TV service has around 14.7 million subscribers.