New York
CNN
—

For DirecTV subscribers frustrated by the loss of ESPN and other Disney channels, the TV provider is offering compensation now that the outage has lasted three days.

The company is offering credits of at least $20 to customers who have DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-Verse services — but customers won’t get the credit automatically. They have to go to a special website and request it using their account email address, and the credit will appear on a future bill.

The outage, which affects 11 million subscribers, comes as the American football and NFL seasons get underway and the US Open tennis tournament enters its final days.

“We are doing everything we can to get your station back,” DirecTV said on its website. “To thank you for your patience while this situation is resolved, we are offering you a bill credit.”

On Sunday, Disney pulled ESPN and other cable channels it owns, such as Freeform and FX, as well as Disney-owned ABC affiliates in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, from DirecTV’s lineup after the two companies failed to reach a new distribution deal.

“The Walt Disney Co. is once again failing to provide accountability to consumers, distribution partners and now the U.S. legal system,” DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun said in a previous statement. “They intend to continue their pursuit of maximum profit 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.”

Disney responded by saying it “is open to offering DirecTV the flexibility and terms we have provided to other distributors. We will not enter into an agreement that undervalues ​​our portfolio of television channels and programming.”

Disney offered DirecTV a sports-focused package that included ESPN networks and ABC sportscasts, as well as a selection of Disney’s linear channels, combined with some of the entertainment giant’s consumer-facing services, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.

The breakdown in negotiations comes as satellite and cable providers are looking for smaller, more flexible bundles of programmers, which could provide cheaper options for consumers looking for a smaller selection of channels.

–CNN’s Liam Reilly contributed to this report.