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Disney Goes Dark on DirecTV Over Contract Dispute Impacting ‘General Hospital’ ‘The Bachelorette Finale’ and Potentially NFL ‘Monday Night Football’ Opener

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: ABC

In another carriage dispute, Disney-owned channels including ABC and ESPN have pulled its programming from satellite provider DirecTV. The blackout is affecting most of its 11 million-plus subscribers in the U.S.

The decision to remove their programming and channels comes after the two sides failed to come to terms on a new carriage agreement, a business impasse that has been spreading throughout the pay TV sector.

The move came around 4 p.m. PT Sunday, about one hour before ABC began its live coverage of  2024 season kickoff college football game between the USC Trojans and LSU Tigers.

Photo: AP

A looming deadline to come to terms would seem to be Monday, September 9th, when ABC/ESPN are set to air the season premiere of Monday Night Football featuring the return of Aaron Rodgers (after his last season-ending injury in his first game as the quarterback of the New York Jets), who are now set to take on the San Francisco 49ers in their first game of the 2024-2025.

Meanwhile, this week on Tuesday, September 3rd, the season finale of The Bachelorette is set to air from 8-11pm ET, and now that will not be shown now on DirecTV. General Hospital will also be dark if watching via DirecTV as of now, to catch the fallout from Sonny shooting Agent Cates from Friday’s August 30th cliffhanger.

Photo: ABC

In the decision to pull its programming, Disney execs argued they had no choice when the contract expiration hit Sunday afternoon. Disney maintains that DirecTV refused to pay market rates for its channels and won’t make a deal involving support for its Disney+, Hulu and ESPN streaming venture.

Disney chiefs, Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro shared in a statement, “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,”

For their stake in the matter, Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV, shot back, “The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system. 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.”

Photo: DirecTV

It should be noted, DirecTV has pushed its programming partners for greater flexibility in creating smaller, lower-cost channel bundles. ESPN and other sports channels are among the biggest drivers of annual programming cost increases for MVPDs (Multichannel Video Programming Distributor) such as DirecTV. Disney counters that the cost of sports rights are going up, not down and that it has been open to new options, apropos of the deal that also ended the Charter Communications standoff.

DirecTV also stated,”Disney fills its ABC broadcast network airtime with cheap-to-produce primetime gameshows, unscripted spinoffs, old former ABC hits, or simulcast content from other Disney-owned channels like ESPN while demanding ever-increasing prices from distributors and ultimately consumers.”

So, do you watch any of your favorite shows or sports programming on Disney-related channels on DirecTV? Do you hope the standoff gets settled sooner than later to enable your viewing habits to go back to “normal” if using the satellite provider? Share your thoughts on the dispute via the comment section below.

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I hope the amount of viewers who subscribe to Direct TV, and if they watch GH.can be determined.

I pay 4.99 a month for CityTV thru the Amazon Prime at 9.99 a month to watch GH.

Everything else I watch I use a free digital annetta.

CityTv is the channel I cannot recieve thru my digital annetta, mostly due to a huge building blocking the signal.

I guess I would pay GH 15 bucks a month for the enjoyment it brings.

Manitoba Canada GH fan

Are you being charged $9.99 for CityTV through Prime now? CityTV site says it’s $4.99 but when I go to subscribe on Prime it says it costs $9.99. Is Amazon really up-charging by $5.00/mo?

We pay a lot of money for Direct TV this is unacceptable!

It is unexpected, I had no notice & now no ABC channels I like. I’m searching for another subscriber.

Me to so upset that we were not notified about this been a directtv coustmer for over 20 years

Absolutely Unacceptable !!! I’m tired of this! I swear every other day I’m worried about this happening , abc is the channel I watch the most! I need a new system, I need to learn more about streaming but I love my DVR any suggestions?

I pay alot of money for Direct TV. We better get our channels back. Or i’m NOT paying a Bill for channels we don’t get no more.They took my CBS off me now. Now I have ABC & the rest of the Disney channels taken off me. This is unacceptable I’ll quit paying Direct TV if they keep taking my channels off

Comcast is pulling a similar scam right now, with the “Big Ten Football Network”. At exactly the same time that the football conference did a major expansion by adding the 4 best college football programs on the west coast.

There’s always some version of this con going on between a cable or satellite franchise and a “content provider” and they’re always timed right for the start of a season, whether it’s football season, the fall TV season (which overlap anyway) or the “march madness” basketball season.

And they wonder why we use “bootleg” streams here in Hell?

I agree Comcast did the same thing with Bally Sports! I switched to the Direct channel think these big companies need some regulations this is hard enough too hard on us to pay for these services

Unacceptable- no notice- I pay a lot for direct tv and if Disney wants more for it’s service than the price would be passed on to consumers and then it should be my decision to stay with direct tv or not but to just be disconnected without any notice is NOT acceptable.

This is totally unexpected and a disservice to all the loyal customers. Both sides should be ashamed of themselves. Greed greed greed is what runs our country. We deserve better than this. We already are forced to pay way to much, if we want to watch our favorites shows. Enough is enough.

I join with everyone else I am truly upset with Directtv that they can’t agree or work it out with Disney. I miss watching my local news on 6ABC of Philadelphia, watching General Hospital and all the shows that I watch. So I hope everything is worked out by September 3, 2024.

I am totally in agreement with you. We all pay too much as it is for Direct/AT&T & I feel like it’s almost intentional. I would like for our state governments, commissioners to step in & assist citizens with this.

This is bs, always something! Do it during the superbowl

Do we get a discount since we can’t watch the games we paid extra to watch

Disney done gone woke

I’m in complete agreement with all of you. I had no idea this was happening! Today of all days, GH fallout from Friday’s show & The Bachelorette Finale‼️

Not quite understanding how you equate paying for broadcasting rites with “gone woke”. Please elaborate.

Sounds like no one wants to own up, do the right thing and not screw over customers. If it’s Disney doing this, then I hope Florida Governor Ron DeSantis penalizes them harshly. Do whatever you want to them. If it’s Directv, shame on you for screwing your customersagain. You charge us way too much and keep raising your prices. I was about to find another provider anyway before the end of the year and use streaming services Hulu. I can see Bachelorette finale on ABC.com but I shouldn’t have to as I am paying Directv for that.

Meatball Ron doesn’t have anything to say about this. Di$ney’s broadcasting & streaming division doesn’t have anything to do with Di$ney World in Orlando. Or Di$neyland in Anaheim, for that matter.

This would be ALL Disney’s greedy fault! They don’t consider there to be enough money in the Solar system , to make them happy!

What about the debate that is supposed to air on ABC 9/10/24? Probably the most important debate in history and these people pull the channel so 11 million of us can’t see it? Makes a person wonder, doesn’t it?

It does. But we should be able to find out how we can pull the plug on Direct

I just did by canceling and going with Dish Network!

That’s a very good point. How convenient. I’m going to get on the band wagon and call directv and have them reimburse me for the channels I don’t get that I’m paying for.

The debate will be simulcast on other networks, just like the first debate between Biden and Trump. So even if the Disney/DirectTV dispute isn’t resolved by then, you’ll be able to watch it on another channel besides ABC.

If your ABC TV feed is still disrupted because of this greed fueled dragonshit next week, I’m sure they will be carrying the debate on the “ABC News Live” digital channel. Which is available as a YouTube stream, and also listed among the “live channels” on most of your popular streaming platforms Tubi/Roku/Pluto/Xumo etc.

A couple of options for y’all … try a digital antenna! You can pull in 50-70 channels for free, usually including all of your local broadcast affiliates. For ABC/FOX programming, you can watch it all on a delay with just a basic Hulu account. Neither of these will help you with ESPN programming, but it will get you your ABC shows and events.

It’s on other channels. First thing I checked and DVR’d

Please get this settled and give us a discount on our Direct account

The only channel I watch. Even ABC news is tolerable. Nbc, terrible, CBS, terrible…
So now no football, no GH , hope we all get refund for however many days we can’t watch!!!
UNREAL!

This happens too much with them..I’m done with them..They want their payment on time and I want my shows on time.

I hope that this depute is over soon. We deserve to have no interution in our program and sports, My US Open tennis on now. I love it and it cut off in the middle of matches.

UnAcceptable no notice no nothing but still going to be charged the same amount of money. Something needs to be done.

Absolutely no excuse. GH is one of the shows I watch every day and now I have no idea what’s going on. This is inexcusable for both parties. It’s not the way to settle this at the cost of subscribers

Put ABC CHANNEL 7 INCHICAGO BACK ON

Unacceptable they turned it off without any warning that’s nuts. Hope they come to agreement soon I’m a GH fan and missing my news as well.

I agree unacceptable to turr it off no notice. They need to refund us for the channels we can’t watch.

Pay them what they want and leave politics out of this.

Boo directv. We pay so much for your services. It’s time to look for a new provider. I’m so disappointed in this whole mess.

Just to let you know if we lose ABC or anymore channel we will change carriers…we already pay to much for the channels we like…so be advised you will lose a customer

I get dtv stream and it affects me too and we pay to much money for l this crap they show now fix it and I don’t mean raising our prices!!!! Next time give us warning these channels should be free!!

Greed is unstoppable, my Direct bill gos up & up , too expensive to go to Disney:: welcome to America Fire Stick here I come

If Direct TV don’t figure it out lm changing to someone else l need my General Hospitaluyquuhww

I had ATT for years – recently Uverse. When I had trouble with that I switched to Direct TV Streaming about 2 years ago. This is second time in a year we have lost ABC, which I watch for news,football and GH. I am going to check into other options for streaming to get live national and local newscasts I like, football and GH. I have Hulu and can watch GH the next day, but after a cliff hanger last Friday, the Labor Day rerun I was very disappointed not to be able to watch today when it was broadcast. It is very frustrating to pay for a service and not get it.

My one pleasure for the day is to record General Hospital and watch it in the evening I also enjoy Free form channel

I also pay Directv a lot of money so now I have to come to my daughters house to watch GH. Not fair to me or her So do I need to get another cable co or what .

Also 911 series just changed to ABC network starts this month new season hurry get my channels back

This is ridiculous. ATT is higher than most and we’re getting less than others. I’m searching for a new carrier. They lost this long time bundled client

SO UPSET!! I have watched General Hospital since day, one and now suddenly at 75 years of age I can’t watch it because of all this damn technology and crap. Not to mention the cost so ridiculous and now it’s not I won’t be able to watch the finale of the bachelorette either. Life is short and when you get old TV keeps you occupied and happy so much for happiness.

I am. Missing GH. Resolve your issues

It sucks if I can find a streaming company that’s not affected by this crap I will change providers. I might just go back to whatever channels I can get from my antenna. At least I won’t be pay these outragous prices, to get screwed over by greedy businesses.

I need ABC channel to go back on that’s one of the reasons I pay Direct tv they need to fix this ASAP!!! Like NOW

Yes, well, I have been on the fence about whether to give up a life long habit of watching GH. It’s gotten so bad. Looks like the contract dispute made the decision for me.

If this is not settled this week
I will be changing tv providers

I am elderly , live rurally been dtv customer for 20 years. What idiot takes off ESPN and sec on opening football weekend. I pay extra for sports pkg. guess dish will have new customer if it’s not settled by this weekend , been waiting for fall football since playoffs in Jan, really a dumbass administration.

It’s all about the Benjamin’s $$$!

My mom lives in an assisted living facility that uses DirecTV what a shame since she watches Channel 7 exclusively Disney with its billions of dollars has screwed poor elderly people out of some viewing pleasure total drag

Is Disney putting the squeeze on General Hospital? Crazy storylines…willow and Drew, really? Great actor departures…what’s up?

I am 78 years old and retired. I have been watching General Hospital for over 40 years. Please don’t take that show off and please settle this. Thank you

To estimate how many of the 10 million DIRECTV subscribers might be among the 2 million people who watch *General Hospital* daily, we can use the following approach:

1. **Proportion of U.S. households with DIRECTV:** As of recent data, DIRECTV had around 10 million subscribers, and there are approximately 123 million households in the U.S. This means about 8.13% of U.S. households have DIRECTV.

2. **Proportion of DIRECTV households among viewers:** If we assume the viewership of *General Hospital* is uniformly distributed across different TV providers, then approximately 8.13% of the 2 million *General Hospital* viewers would be DIRECTV subscribers.

– **Calculation:**
\[
2,000,000 \times 0.0813 \approx 162,600
\]

So, an estimated **162,600 DIRECTV subscribers** are among the 2 million people who watch *General Hospital* daily.

This estimate assumes that viewership is evenly distributed among TV providers, which may not be perfectly accurate but provides a reasonable approximation. It’s all about the math.

I live in Louisiana. I don’t have DirecTV. But…in my neck of the woods, I know A LOT of people who have DirecTV. And…they are not gonna be very happy whenever they hear this. At all.

I’ve been watching WABC tv since I was born, I only got direct tv, because I had this same problem with Spectrum, however now I see that the common denominator is Disney. Disney even wants to own all these channels under the guise that they are offering Affordable bundles, however in order to watch other channels that people wish to watch we have to have cable cable and 10,000 bundle packages, I want to watch most of my channels under one package bundle, bundle, bundle, holding customers hostage by being a monopolizer of television networks. Disney Should either offer cable packages or lead things up to programming networks. Disney was built on the principles of family friendly entertainment. Yet now Disney has become divisive and controlling. I don’t find this practice fair to consumers, and I am quite frankly a little upset. I changed cable packages just for this reason only to find out that Disney is the guilty one.

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‘General Hospital’s’ Jonathan Bennett Receives 3 ‘Critics Choice Real TV Awards’ Nominations for Hallmark Series, ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’

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Many things are coming up roses for Jonathan Bennett! On the heels of the news that he is set to debut this month in the role of Joe Fitzpatrick on General Hospital, who is rumored to be a new love interest for Lucas Jones (Van Hansis), comes the news that Bennett’s reality series, Finding Mr. Christmas has received 3 nomination for the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.

Bennett’s Hallmark Channel series finds itself in tough competition alongside fellow nominees: RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix), Survivor 50 (CBS), Top Chef (Bravo) and The Traitors (Peacock). In addition, Jonathan himself is nominated for Best Show Host and the series participants as the Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series.

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) revealed the nominees for the eighth annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards on Thursday, which recognize excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET.

Photo: Hallmark

Taking to his Instagram to celebrate the nominations, GH’s Bennett, enthused, “3 Critic Choice Nominations! I’m so proud of the FINDING MR CHRISTMAS and to be in the company of all the legends in all these categories is so surreal! Congrats to Hallmark Channel and to our nominated cast and nominated show and everyone who made this magical show possible. This is crazy! This gives FMC 6 Critics Choice nominations in 2 years. Not bad for a little show on Hallmark Channel. What are your thoughts on our show?” Jumping first into the comment thread was one of his new GH co-stars, Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) who expressed, “Yeah buddy!!!🔥🔥”

In the series, Bennett, the host and co-creator spends eight weeks guiding 10 aspiring actors through a series of “festive face-offs” and acting challenges alongside actors like soap opera notables, Hunter King (ex-Summer, Y&R) and Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS). Along the way, they develop their skills and a bond with one another. The show, which is available on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Plus, highlights LGBTQ+ representation with openly gay contestants vying to be the next Hallmark star.

It should be noted that Traitors received the most Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations with 6 nods, followed by Dancing with the Stars with 4.

Bennett is very familiar to daytime fans having started his career as JR Chandler on All My Children in 2000-2001, before landing the part of Aaron Samuels in the motion picture, Mean Girls in 2004 starring Lindsay Lohan, which would become his breakout performance.

You can check out the full list of Critics Choice Real TV Award nominations here.

So, excited for Jonathan Bennett’s General Hospital debut this month? Have you ever watched Finding Mr. Christmas on Hallmark? Let us know via the comment section below.

 

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‘General Hospital’s’ Kelly Thiebaud on Britt and Cassius Sibling Drama, But Who Will Ultimately Blow His Cover?

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On the April 30 episode of General Hospital, Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) had some choice words and warning for her brother Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) who has been masquerading as his twin, the very dead, Nathan West.

As the story has unfolded, viewers learned that Britt knew all along that when “Nathan” showed up in Port Charles seemingly resurrected with a missing 7 years of his life unexplained, that Cassius was taking his place.

Now in developments on today’s GH, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is figuring out that this guy pretending to be Nathan is someone else, and Cassius learns from Britt, that Joss is not just a ditzy sorority girl as he claimed, but a WSB agent! The moment stuns Cassius. Are the walls about to close in on him and his charade?

Courtesy/ABC

Daytime Emmy winner, Kelly Thiebaud spoke to Soap Opera Digest, about the story point and getting the opportunity this time back at GH to work with Ryan Paevey, when she hadn’t had the chance to before.

BROTHERLY LOVE?

Thiebaud expressed on sharing scenes with Ryan Paevey, “It’s just been so wonderful to have him back and to actually work with him! When he first came onto the show (as Nathan at the end of 2013) I was kind of heading out — it was right towards the end of my contract, so we didn’t actually work together a ton. It’s been really refreshing and so much fun to really spend time together and get to know each other and work together. I think we have really great on-camera chemistry and banter with each other. I really enjoy working with him.”

With the stakes at an all-time, Thiebaud explained how she views her on-screen alter-ego’s involvement with her more hot-to-temper sibling and why Britt revealed the truth about Josslyn to him. “People finding out about Cassius would expose what she’s involved in and what she agreed to do,” explains Kelly “And now Josslyn is digging around, and she’s connected to Carly (Laura Wright) to Jason (Steve Burton) and that whole dynamic! It’s messy!”

BRITT’S MURKY FUTURE

Britt has currently also reached her breaking point with Jason being carted away by the WSB, Rocco (Finn Carr), the child she gave birth to, shooting Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) to protect her and Jason, Marco (Adrian Anchondo) being killed after trying to help her, and Cullum holding over her head getting her Huntington’s disease medication to control her symptoms, while blackmailing her into finishing the research on her father, Cesar Faison’s, final project. Thiebaud summed it up best for Britt right now, sharing, “It’s been a really tough time for her.”

So, who do you think will be the person to blow Cassius’ cover? Will it be Britt herself? Josslyn? Liesl? Brennan? Nina? Lulu? Rocco, Maxie, Cullum or someone else? Let us know your pick in the comment section.

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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Michael Reveals His Plan to Set Up Chase and Willow to Have an Affair

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After the Wednesday, April 29 episode of General Hospital, it’s clear outside interference and other circumstances are set to blow Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) marriage sky high, as Michael (Rory Gibson) reveals his plans to entrap Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) and use her relationship with Chase to do it!

In story, Michael dropped by unexpectedly to Carly’s (Laura Wright). A plotting Michael reveals his plan to nudge Willow and Chase into having an affair. Michael hopes it would create both a political and personal scandal, where Willow would lose her seat in congress. In the scenario, she would be having an affair with her ex-husband, while taking care of her supposed disabled husband, Drew (Cameron Mathison), who cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair, which in turn will look horrible for Willow’s character.

Carly asked does he really want to destroy his cousin, Brook Lynn’s life in the process? Michael goes in on Chase’s holier than thou attitude, and says he is going to set-up the circumstances that would lead Chase and Willow to betray their spouses, and hit the sheets together. Michael swears to Carly what the two of them do is up to them, but he’s going to go on the offense with this.

MICHAEL HAS BACK-UP

Later, Jacinda (Paige Herschell) is talking with Charlotte (Bluesy Burke) at Crimson and how much she dislikes Willow because of what she has done to Michael. Just then, Michael shows up and tells Jacinda privately, he’s figured out a way to fight Willow. Looks like Jacinda might work with Michael to bring down Willow and use Chase as the person to do it!

At the hospital, Lucas (Van Hansis) tells Josslyn (Eden McCoy) that Carly is cheating on Jack, but he doesn’t know with who. Josslyn suddenly flashes back to the moment she found her mother harboring a fugitive, Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart), in her attic, and as figured out that her mother is sleeping with him. She heads out.

Courtesy/ABC

BRENNAN IS ABOUT TO LEARN ABOUT CARLY

Next thing you know, Josslyn has showed up inside Jack’s (Chris McKenna) hotel room at the Metro Court and when he enters his room, he is shocked to find her there. He lays into her for not keeping his distance and that Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) will have no problem killing her if he knows she’s WSB. Josslyn fires back that he is only concerned about that because his relationship with her mother depends on her being safe. But then, she lays the boom, and tells Jack, Well, you’re too late. You already lost her.”

LULU GETS A GLIMPSE OF CASSIUS’ TEMPER

In addition, Lulu (Alexa Havins) sees a different side of “Nathan.” Since she is unaware that the man before her is his twin, Cassius Fasion (Ryan Paevey), he tells her that Rocco (Finn Carr) blabbed that he shot Cullum to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud), and now he thinks they should send him away to stop him from talking to everyone else. This concerns Lulu, who rails at Nathan for telling her what to do with her son and that she isn’t going to abandon him. With “Nathan’s” outburst at her on the matter, will she finally get a clue this is not the man she thinks it is?

So, what do you think of Michael’s plan to push Willow and Chase into an affair? Will it work or backfire? Do you think Joss will reveal that Valentin is the man sleeping with Carly to Brennan, which will send him in a rage? Will Lulu continue to be clueless about “Nathan?” Weigh-in via the comment section below. But first, take a look at the GH video tease for today’s April 30 episode.

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