ESPN networks, ABC and Disney channels go dark on DirecTV on a busy night for sports

ESPN has gone off the air on a major carrier for the second straight year during the U.S. Open tennis tournament and in the midst of the first full weekend of college football.

Disney Entertainment channels went dark on DirecTV Sunday night after the sides were unable to reach a new carriage agreement.

The move angered some sports fans, who posted their displeasure on social media. And the U.S. Tennis Association wasn’t pleased with another carriage dispute.

ESPN was showing the fourth round of the U.S. Open when it went off the air on DirecTV at 7:20 p.m. EDT.

That was a half-hour before the start of the match between Frances Tiafoe, an American who reached the 2022 U.S. Open semifinals, and Alexei Popyrin, an Australian who eliminated defending champion Novak Djokovic on Friday.

“It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 U.S. Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN. We are hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible,” the USTA said in a statement.

It also happened 10 minutes before the start of the college football game between No. 13 LSU and 23rd-ranked Southern California in Las Vegas.

ABC-owned stations in Los Angeles; the San Francisco Bay Area; Fresno, California; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Houston; and Raleigh, North Carolina, also went off DirecTV.

Last year, Disney and Spectrum — the nation’s second-largest cable TV provider — were involved in a nearly 12-day impasse until coming to an agreement hours before the first Monday night NFL game of the season.

DirecTV said Disney offered an extension to keep the channels on the air in exchange for DirecTV having to waive all future legal claims that its behavior is anti-competitive.

“The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners, and now the American judicial system,” said Rob Thun, DirecTV’s chief content officer, in a statement. “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.”

DirecTV has 11.3 million subscribers, according to Leichtman Research Group, making it the nation’s third-largest pay TV provider.

Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment, and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro issued a joint statement urging DirecTV to finalize a deal.

The statement added that “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.”

The impasse comes as networks and distributors continue to be at odds over content. Distributors and subscribers would like to see a model where they can buy channels a la carte instead of subscribing to a bundling package.

Distributors are also frustrated with production companies putting some of their premium programing on direct-to-consumer platforms before they show up on channels. DirecTV cited the miniseries “Shogun” appearing on Hulu before FX.

“Consumer frustration is at an all-time high as Disney shifts its best producers, most innovative shows, top teams, conferences, and entire leagues to their direct-to-consumer services while making customers pay more than once for the same programming on multiple Disney platforms,” Thun said. “Disney’s only magic is forcing prices to go up while simultaneously making its content disappear.”

Besides all ESPN network channels and ABC-owned stations, Disney-branded channels Freeform, FX and National Geographic channel went dark on DirecTV.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

FILE - The ESPN logo is seen, Sept. 16, 2013, prior to an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl, File)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros on Wednesday for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.

Houston agreed to pay Milwaukee $4,227,273 to offset most of McCullers' remaining salary, leaving his cost to the Brewers at $2.5 million. Astros general manager Dana Brown said they created flexibility in payroll and the roster for a team currently three games back of Texas in the AL West.

“Make no mistakes, we are still trying to improve this team," Brown said. "We are still actively talking about acquiring a left-hand bat.”

Milwaukee cleared space on the 40-man roster by placing left-hander Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list.

Milwaukee went into the All-Star break with a five-game lead in the NL Central and trailed the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for best record in the NL. The Brewers' 3.48 ERA ranks second in the majors behind only the New York Yankees but injuries to their starting rotation left them seeking depth.

Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff is on the 60-day injured list after an MRI exam revealed a new injury to the anterior capsule in his shoulder, which was surgically repaired after the 2023 season. Left-hander Kyle Harrison was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with tightness in his throwing forearm.

McCullers, 32, is son of former big league reliever Lance McCullers. He helped Houston win the World Series in 2017 and 2022, and has spent his entire career with the Astros.

McCullers Jr. is 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA over 154 games. He was an All-Star in 2017, had Tommy John surgery in November 2018 and missed the 2019 season. Surgery in June 2023 kept him out through the 2024 season, and Brown said McCullers was an inspiration for grinding through the injuries.

“He was battling to come back," Brown said. "I think Milwaukee having a few injuries right now made sense that he can get some opportunity there.”

He has $6,727,273 remaining of his $17 million salary in the final season of an $85 million, five-year contract. The Astros will pay Milwaukee $914,005 on July 31, $1,770,885 on Aug, 31 and $1,542,383 on Sept. 30.

McCullers, is 2-3 with a 6.86 ERA in eight starts. Inflammation in his right shoulder landed him on the 15-day IL on May 19, and he has been on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Gordon, 27, made his major league debut in 2025. He went 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA and a save in 20 games. Gordon has started one of his four appearances with Houston this season.

Fielder, 21, the son of former Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder and grandson of Cecil Fielder, made his professional debut in 2025. He was in Class A before the trade. Brown called Fielder a true professional and patient hitter with good plate discipline.

“Most likely will play the outfield, although he’s played some first base and second base. But you know good bloodlines, of course,” Brown said. "And you know just the opportunity to acquire a young bat”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Lance McCullers Jr. of the Houston Astros throws to live batters before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, June 19, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox, File)