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US Open, college football coverage pulled for millions of DirecTV customers over carriage dispute with Disney
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Sports fans were left reeling on Sunday night after a major carrier dispute left millions of DirecTV subscribers unable to watch several major sporting events.
Disney Entertainment channels, including ESPN, went dark on DirectTV during the U.S. Open after both sides failed to reach a new carriage agreement – an issue that left tennis fans unable to watch the heavily anticipated fourth round matchup between American Frances Tiafoe and Alexei Popyrin of Australia.
Frances Tiafoe reacts to a winner in the 4th set against Alexei Popyrin on day seven of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN)
Coverage was pulled about a half-hour before the match.
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“It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 US Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN,” the U.S. Open said in a statement.
“We are hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible.”
Fans could view the match on other streaming services, but as the U.S. Open pointed out, they were “not free on these platforms unless there is a free trial option.”
College football fans were also hit with the blackout 10 minutes before the start of the LSU-USC season opener airing on ABC.
Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss, #7, throws a pass against the LSU Tigers during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / IMAGN)
Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro released a joint statement calling out DirecTV for “deny[ing] millions of subscribers” coverage during two major sporting events.
“DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the US Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season. While we’re open to offering DirecTV flexibility and terms which we’ve extended to other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues our portfolio of television channels and programs. We invest significantly to deliver the No. 1 brands in entertainment, news and sports because that’s what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what’s in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming.”
A detailed view of a microphone is seen with an ESPN logo on it. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images / Getty Images)
DirecTV, which has over 11.3 million subscribers, said Disney offered an extension to keep the channels on the air in exchange for DirecTV having to waive all future legal claims that its behavior is anticompetitive.
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“The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system,” Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, said in a statement. “Disney is in the business of creating alternate realities, but this is the real world where we believe you earn your way and must answer for your own actions. They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers — making it harder for them to select the shows and sports they want at a reasonable price.”
This marks the second year in a row that ESPN has gone off the air due to a major carrier dispute. For nearly two weeks last year, Disney and Spectrum were at an impasse before finally reaching an agreement hours before the first Monday night game of the NFL season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon still isn’t a fan of Bitcoin but he’s not letting his personal feelings get in the way of business at the bank.
“When I look at the Bitcoin universe, the leverage in the system, the misuse,” he said at the company’s annual investor day Monday in New York. Noting that bad actors can use it for sex trafficking and terrorism.
“I am not a fan of it. We are going to allow you to buy it. And we’re not going to custody it. We’re going to do is put it on statements for clients. So, you know, I don’t think we should smoke, but I defend your right to smoke. I defend your right to buy Bitcoin, go at it”, he added.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon Speaks at Investor Day 5/19
At JPMorgan’s Investor Day, Dimon said the bank will now allow clients to buy Bitcoin but that policy hasn’t changed his view on the cryptocurrency. (JP Morgan)
Bitcoin, the largest crypto by market value, is just shy of its all-time high of $106,734.51 reached last year.
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Dimon has long been a critic of Bitcoin, including these remarks from 2021:
“I personally think that Bitcoin is worthless,” Dimon said while speaking at a virtual event hosted by the Institute of International Finance. “But I don’t want to be a spokesman for that, I don’t care. It makes no difference to me.” Dimon has also likened the crypto to “fools gold.”
Shares of JPMorgan Chase are up over 10% outperforming the S&P 500 which is flat for the year.
In January 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission greenlighted the first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, prompting a slew of firms to launch their own, making the asset class more accessible for both institutional and retail investors.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBIT | ISHARES BITCOIN TRUST – USD ACC | 60.66 | +0.68 | +1.13% |
| FBTC | FIDELITY WISE ORIGIN BITCOIN FUND – USD ACC | 93.14 | +0.98 | +1.06% |
| GBTC | GRAYSCALE BITCOIN TRUST ETF – USD ACC | 84.12 | +0.88 | +1.06% |
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iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin ETF and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF are currently the largest funds by assets under management, as tracked by ETF.com.
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Hooters CEO Sal Melilli joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss plans to return the brand to its roots as a ‘neighborhood restaurant.’
Italian restaurant chain Bertucci’s is closing more locations after filing for bankruptcy again to mitigate losses.
The Massachusetts-based business, which has locations along the East Coast and is best known for its brick oven pizza and pasta, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Florida last week. It marked the chain’s third bankruptcy since 2018.
Bertucci’s also closed seven of its underperforming locations – five in Massachusetts, one in Rhode Island and one in Maryland. It now operates 15 restaurant locations in six states, according to court documents.
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Italian restaurant chain Bertucci’s has filed for bankruptcy for the third time since 2018. It has also closed seven restaurants to mitigate losses, according to an April 24 bankruptcy filing. (WFXT)
The company cited the “deterioration” of the U.S. economy and “lack of consumer demand for legacy casual-dining brands” as reasons why the restaurant chain has been operating at a loss, according to the filing.
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“With losses accumulating, inflationary pressures still high, and industry headwinds gusting, the proverbial final straw fell on [Bertucci’s] this year as the world saw food costs soar, consumer spending slow, and an uncertain global economy falling in (and out) of decline,” as stated in the bankruptcy documents.
Bertucci’s has assets and liabilities between $10 million and $50 million, according to the filing.
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The restaurant chain hopes bankruptcy will provide the business with a “breathing spell” so it can “determine the best path forward and formulate an overall reorganizational plan,” it said in the filing.
In April 2018, Bertucci’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and closed 15 restaurants. In December 2022, amid challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic like the closure of restaurants and inflation, it declared bankruptcy for a second time and streamlined operations down to 23 locations, according to the filing.
Bertucci’s previously filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and 2022. (WFXT)
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Bertucci’s did not respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
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