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DirecTV is offering customers a credit after losing ABC and ESPN. Here’s how to get it
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DirecTV is offering customers a credit after losing ABC and ESPN. Here’s how to get it

DirecTV and Disney appear no closer to an agreement after the entertainment giant pulled channels including ESPN, ABC, Hulu and more from the satellite TV provider on Sunday. And now DirecTV is offering angry customers compensation, but it won’t come automatically.

The company is offering $20 credits (and potentially more in some cases) to DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-Verse customers. A total of 11 million subscribers were affected by the dispute, which forced the channels to go off the air at 7:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, while fourth-round matches of the US Open were still underway.

To get that credit, you have to go to a specific website and apply for the credit. Any compensation will appear on a future bill.

“We are doing everything we can to get your station back. To thank you for your patience until the situation is resolved, we are offering you an invoice credit,” the website reads.

Carrier fees are once again at the heart of the dispute. Disney is asking DirecTV to pay more to carry its channels. And the two companies are arguing their differences publicly, with combative statements.

This is the second year in a row that ESPN service has been interrupted during the US Open. It’s a good time for Disney to charge higher rates, since the NFL season also kicks off this week, meaning the loss of ESPN will likely upset DirecTV customers.

Other channels pulled from the television provider include Freeform, FX, Disney Junior and Disney-owned channels ABC (which includes flagship channels in New York and Los Angeles).

Carriage disputes are typically resolved within a few days, but they have been known to drag on for weeks (such as the one between Disney and Charter Communications last year). In rare cases, they can last for years. Dish Network and WarnerMedia feuded for more than three years, keeping HBO and Cinemax off satellite service from 2018 through 2021.

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