DirecTV, Disney reach deal to end blackout in time for college football

DirecTV and Disney have reached a deal that brings Disney's ESPN and other channels back to the pay-tv provider's customers after a roughly two week blackout.

The deal comes in time for college football this Saturday, which airs on ABC, ESPN, as well as the SEC Network and ACC Network, as well as the Emmy Awards which air on ABC. CNBC earlier reported a deal could be made as early as Saturday.

Disney's networks went dark on Sept. 1 after the two sides could not agree to terms on fees and bundle structures.The dispute left DirecTV's more than 11 million customers without access to the U.S. Open, college football and this season's opening "Monday Night Football" game.

DirecTV executives began calling for the ability to offer skinnier, genre-specific bundles to customers in the weeks leading up to the dispute, and again when the Disney networks went dark. Disney had said that DirecTV's offers did not reflect the value that its networks provide. 

On Saturday, DirecTV and Disney said they reached a deal that called for "market based terms" on pricing.

The deal also gives DirecTV the opportunity to offer multiple genre-specific options, such as sports, entertainment and kids and family, inclusive of Disney's traditional TV networks, along with its streaming services, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.

DirecTV will be able to offer Disney's streaming services in its packages and a la carte, the company said in a release Saturday. DirecTV also won the rights to distribute Disney's upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service — expected to launch in fall 2025 — at no additional cost to its subscribers.

The inclusion of Disney's streaming services and ESPN's future flagship service echoes the carriage agreement reached between