Thursday, October 22, 2026

As ESPN Goes Dark for Subscribers, DirectTV Dangles $20 Rebates

  • The satellite carrier is offering a small rebate to subscribers as its carriage dispute with Disney grows.
  • Disney accuses DirecTV of ‘continuing to misrepresent the facts around our ongoing negotiations.’
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

DirecTV is offering $20 rebates to subscribers, one of the latest moves in a quickly escalating battle between the satellite carrier and ESPN parent company Walt Disney Co. 

As Disney channels, including ESPN, are now dark on the No. 3 U.S. pay-TV distributor, DirecTV is now offering a small rebate to its subscriber base, estimated at more than 11 million. If every subscriber took advantage of the offer, that would represent a return of more than $220 million to consumers. The rebates will be in the form of a bill credit.

Disney, meanwhile, issued another statement bashing DirecTV on Wednesday, in part a response to the carrier’s lengthy presentation to analysts the previous day. 

“DirecTV continues to misrepresent the facts around our ongoing negotiations,” Disney said in a statement attributed to ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman. “Our priority is to reach a marketplace deal that serves the needs of DirecTV and their customers while also recognizing the value of our top-quality content.”

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Troy Aikman

Examining Troy Aikman’s Options After J.J. Watt-CBS Deal 

Aikman has yet to receive a formal offer to return to ESPN.
Los Angeles, CA - October 27, 2025 - Dodger Stadium: Jeff Passan during game three of the 2025 World Series.

Jeff Passan: Brewers-Rays World Series Won’t Head Off MLB Lockout

Passan also addressed the backlash he received to comments about the Dodgers.

College Football’s Emerging Powers Are Shaking Up TV Ratings

BYU–Notre Dame averaged 9.2 million viewers on ABC.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/22/26 – Rays-Brewers Can’t Stop Lockout, $771 to Watch NBA, Jaguars Fans’ Afterlife

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
NBC Sports Logo

Comcast-NBCUniversal Split Comes With $1B Cost, Layoffs

The NBC Sports parent company will take on a hefty restructuring charge.
Aug 3, 2024; Canton, OH, USA; Houston Texans former defensive end J.J. Watt in attendance at the Class of 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
October 22, 2026

NFL TV’s Analyst Market Tightens as CBS Extends JJ Watt

Watt is officially Tony Romo’s full-time replacement at CBS.
October 22, 2026

FIFA’s World Cup Rights Shake-Up Could Favor NBC Over Fox

It’s bad news for Fox and great news for Telemundo’s parent, NBC.
Sponsored

Blake Griffin’s Plan for Media Domination

The former NBA star is building a second act across media & entertainment.
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; MLB on Fox broadcasters Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter during game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
October 22, 2026

Fox, MLB Look to Counter Lower World Series Expectations

MLB is riding a wave of postseason audience expansion.
October 21, 2026

NBC, USA Claim Record Audience for Start of WNBA Finals

The Finals are tied 1–1 with the series shifting to Atlanta.
Inglewood, CA - October 12, 2026 - SoFi Stadium: Troy Aikman prior to a regular season Monday Night Football game.
Opinion
October 21, 2026

‘Nobody Calls a Game Better’: Why ESPN Should Keep Troy Aikman

Michael Wilbon and Stephen A. Smith have publicly backed Aikman.
during WTGL Media Day at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on September 20, 2026.
Exclusive
October 21, 2026

WTGL to Lean Into Female Broadcast Talent on ESPN and Ion

ESPN’s Taylor Tannebaum will make her golf broadcasting debut.