Walt Disney Co. and DirecTV’s ongoing dispute over carriage fees is impacting both companies significantly. Disney’s Monday Night Football, a major draw on ABC and ESPN, saw a 9.7% decrease in viewership for its season debut, attracting 20.5 million viewers, down from last year’s figures due to DirecTV’s blackout. DirecTV, which serves around 11 million customers, has barred access to Disney-owned networks like ABC and ESPN as negotiations stall, resulting in fans missing significant events like the US Open tennis finals.
The financial strain hits hard as DirecTV, owned by AT&T and TPG, refunds customers $20 for the blackout. The company had been paying Disney around $2 billion annually. With DirecTV households representing 15% of the US cable TV market, Disney faces reduced revenue, especially from Monday Night Football, which typically generates about $45 million per game in ad sales, summing up to approximately $765 million yearly. The program averaged over 17 million viewers per game last season, with the 2023 opener between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills drawing close to 23 million viewers. The San Francisco 49ers’ 32-19 win over the Jets drew notable attention, featuring the debut of Jason Kelce as a new commentator, praised for his engaging style by ESPN’s content chief Burke Magnus.
Simultaneously, ratings for the US Open tennis finals suffered due to the overlap with football broadcasts. Although ESPN didn’t disclose specific numbers, the event saw diminished attention compared to last year’s 3.4 million viewers for the women’s final and 2.3 million for the men’s.
Both companies continue to grapple with declining traditional TV viewership as audiences pivot to streaming services, further intensifying the financial stakes of their current stalemate.
Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/monday-night-football-ratings-shrink-with-loss-of-directv-fans-11726007842536.html
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