On the evening of August 31, the latest retransmission consent impasse emerged. Only, to many broadcast television industry observers, this dispute is different.
Why? Charter Communications, owner of the Spectrum cable TV and broadband internet service provider, isn’t ready to compromise with The Walt Disney Company over what the parent of ESPN or ABC Owned Stations believes is a fair price for getting the right to profit from its cable and broadcast TV channels.
Already, Disney is telling impacted Spectrum customers to consider Hulu + Live TV as a substitute. A Friday press conference with Charter executives spelled out a host of demands, with a “change or else” attitude coming from the C-Suite.
For MoffettNathanson‘s three analysts, Michael Nathanson, Robert Fishman and Craig Moffett, what Disney does has only exacerbated a lingering issue it’s been monitoring for months: The future of the Pay TV bundle is at a critical moment, with ESPN playing the starring role.
