ESPN, Walt Disney Company fire off statement on Charter stalemate

Amid a carriage dispute between Charter Communications and Disney Entertainment, Disney has fired off a new press release outlining its disappointment with Charter.

The current dispute will prevent customers of Charter’s Spectrum from watching ESPN programming until it is resolved. That includes dozens of college football games, among other offerings.

“As the US Open reaches the men’s and women’s finals, and fans gear up for a weekend of college football and the opening of the NFL season, it’s unfortunate that Charter decided to abandon their consumers by denying them access to our great programming,” the Disney statement read.

“While they have stated their ‘indifference’ to the needs of millions of paying customers, we will not lose sight of what is most important – investing in the highest-quality stories, news and sports for our audience. The question for Charter is clear: Do you care about your subscribers and what they’re telling you they want – or not? Disney stands ready to resolve this dispute and do what’s in the best interest of Charter’s customers.”

ESPN and Disney are not the only ones to apply some public pressure with a statement released ahead of this weekend’s live sports programming.

The Southeastern Conference also chimed in on Thursday, hopeful that its fans can find an appropriate avenue to watch their teams play this weekend.

“As negotiations continue between Charter Communications and Disney Entertainment, Spectrum cable customers who are seeking SEC programming on ESPN channels, including SEC Network, can easily find and sign up for ESPN channels across all other major TV streaming providers like DirecTV, Sling, Hulu, YouTubeTV and FuboTV,” the SEC statement read.

The SEC is slated for a big weekend, with 14 different games set to take place over the weekend. Many would fall on the list of channels currently not airing on Spectrum.

The big game is Alabama against Texas, a rematch of last year’s thriller that ended in a 20-19 Alabama win. Of course, Bryce Young is gone this time around and the Crimson Tide will have to figure out how to win without him.

Another interesting game on the docket this weekend is Ole Miss against Tulane, another game with both opponents ranked entering the meeting. That game will take place in New Orleans, so it’ll be a good early road test for Lane Kiffin‘s squad.

But there are plenty of good games to watch this weekend. You can check out the full SEC weekend slate here.