The clash between DirecTV and Disney turned messy last weekend. In one corner, DirecTV, the US’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 on Sunday night — part-way through the US Open tennis tournament and just as NFL and college football seasons were getting underway.
