Disney and Charter have struck an expanded carriage deal, adding Hulu’s ad-supported tier to Spectrum TV Select plans along with eight cable networks dropped in a 2023 dispute.
The companies’ battle nearly two years ago, which deprived millions of customers of college football, U.S. Open tennis and other programming, was resolved with an agreement that left long-established networks without carriage for 10 days. The entire media industry tracked the dispute closely, with Charter publicly insisting that despite being the No. 1 pay-TV operator in the U.S. it was ready to throw in the towel on the video business due to adverse economics. Under the new pact, Disney Jr, Disney XD, Freeform, FXX, FXM, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo and BabyTV are rejoining the channel lineup.
Charter has been aggressively bundling streaming services into TV and broadband packages, touting it as a value-add of more than $100 a month for many customers. The company has seen benefits in reduced subscriber losses, though the pay-TV sector overall continues to shrink due to cord-cutting.
The new agreement will take effect later this summer and will also give TV Select customers free access to ESPN’s soon-to-launch streaming service.
“We began this journey to transform the video proposition for consumers with Disney, so it is befitting that this new agreement and the doubling down on our strategy continues with them,” said Tom Montemagno, EVP of Programming Acquisition for Charter. He added that the company has been striking a number of deals “mid-cycle and absent from any of the typical pressures from expiring agreements.”
Sean Breen, EVP, Disney Platform Distribution, said the agreement reflects a “shared commitment with Charter to building innovative, consumer-focused distribution models that drive value across the board.”
