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Disney’s Shameless Plug to Angry Spectrum Customers: “There’s Hulu+ Live TV!”

The Walt Disney Company angered many people late last week when it decided to pull all its programming from Charter Communication’s Spectrum TV cable provider. The company would do well not to trigger these customers further, particularly sports fans who had to go without ESPN channels this weekend. However, Disney couldn’t help itself.

With negotiations ongoing and no end in sight, what is the natural thing for a beloved mega-corporation like Disney to do to appease the masses? Show decorum? No way! The best decision is to use the Spectrum feud as an opportunity to plug its live-service television streaming product shamelessly, which is EXACTLY what Disney has done.

Disney wasn't prepared for Spectrum fight
Credit: Disney/ Spectrum

Disney and Spectrum Fight

Disney and Charter Communications are locked in a heated disagreement regarding the fees Charter pays to broadcast Disney’s TV channels, such as ESPN, ABC, and National Geographic. Disney aims to increase these fees, while Charter adamantly opposes paying more.

Charter has adopted a tough stance during these negotiations, asserting it will move forward without Disney’s programming if the company does not lower its demands. However, Disney has also dug its feet in, claiming that its content is valuable and it needs to increase carriage fees to keep traditional television revenue profitable.

This conflict is emblematic of a broader shift occurring within the media industry. Content providers like Disney now demand higher compensation from cable and satellite providers. This shift is driven by a changing landscape, where many individuals cancel their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services. As a result, traditional TV providers argue that it brings reduced profits, though most still seem to prosper.

Disney and Spectrum agreement
Credit: Spectrum

Disney Capitalizes on Conflict With Hulu Live TV Promotion

The dispute has remained at a standstill, leaving Spectrum customers frustrated. They are starting to seek alternatives to the cable provider, and Disney is capitalizing on this. Over the weekend, the company released a blog update with a not-so-subtle hint calling for subscribers to cancel their Spectrum TV service in favor of its Hulu Live TV option.

“The service has more than 90 live channels that include sports, news, and entertainment. Hulu + Live TV starts at $69.99 a month, and you can cancel anytime,” Disney shamelessly plugs in the blog. “There’s no contract, no cable box, and no wait time to subscribe.”

Spectrum Disney TV bundle

While it is apparent that Disney is trying to sell its alternative to Spectrum TV, fans haven’t exactly been receptive to the message. Disney begins the blog by trying to relate to angry customers who had to go this weekend without ESPN for live sports or other Disney-owned channels like ABC. The company takes no responsibility of its own, which exhibits a lack of self-awareness.

“Disney deeply values its relationship with its viewers and is hopeful Charter is ready to have more conversations that will restore access to its content to Spectrum customers as quickly as possible,” the entertainment giant asserts. “However, if you are one of these frustrated customers, it can be infuriating to not be able to access the content you want. Luckily, consumers have more choices today than ever before to immediately access the programming they want without a cable subscription.”

Disney claims it wants to strike a deal and return its programming to Spectrum. However, some critics aren’t buying the sincerity. Disney also promoted Hulu+ Live TV on social media, with people digging into the shameless marketing opportunity. Most just want their TV channels back.

So the plan is to not make a deal and push this trash instead. Wonderful.

To be fair, Disney further mentions other live TV plan alternatives in the blog post. It suggests DIRECTV Stream, YouTube TV, Sling, and Fubo. However, these are all mentioned in one tiny single-sentence paragraph with no call to action or further information.

Disney Fanatic will continue to provide updates on the Disney and Spectrum feud. Hopefully, the two companies can reach an agreement. Nevertheless, it seems Disney is content to wait it out.

Michael Stoyanoff

Michael is a Disney fan with an entertainment background and passion for writing. Living in Orlando, he has been around the theme parks for over a decade. In his free time he enjoys running, playing video games, and traveling the world. He also loves hanging out with his dog, Mr. Pippers the Pug.

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