If the Spectrum versus ESPN battle is the Super Bowl of cable rights disputes, then Aaron Rodgers may be the one who settles it.
In the fight that began late last week, ESPN has Rodgers’ Jets debut on “Monday Night Football,” which could either restore the Disney channels, including the all-sports network, to the nearly 15 million paid subscribers nationwide or signal this is the dispute that will change the cable system forever.
The losers already in all of this are, of course, you, the fans, who have already paid your hard-earned money for the games you want to see. This weekend, Texas faces Alabama Saturday on ESPN, while the Jets and Bills match up on Monday.
If you have Spectrum, you will not be able to watch as ESPN and Disney-owned ABC are not on its systems anymore.
(You could put an antenna up to receive ABC, but it wouldn’t solve your lack of ESPN problem long term and who wants the fuss?)
Choosing which side to root for in Spectrum versus Disney is like asking if you would rather be hit in the jaw or the stomach. You pay $250, give or take, per month, to Spectrum and to paraphrase a former Jets receiver: Just show me the damn game.
I was told it is 50-50 that a deal will be done by Monday, which doesn’t help you much as it is a fancy way to say no one really knows.
These cable disputes have been going on for decades. They nearly always get resolved, but this time there is a different sense.
Disney’s CEO Bob Iger has publicly said he will offer ESPN direct-to-consumer, meaning all of its programming. The Post has reported that it will occur by 2026, maybe in 2025. This would mean you could have all the ESPN channels, the whole enchilada, without a cable subscription. This is an affront to Spectrum.
Meanwhile, Charter CEO Chris Winfrey, who oversees Spectrum, mused about maybe exiting the current video business. Spectrum makes most of its profits providing its customers with the broadband for wireless.
While Spectrum may be interested in getting out of the video business, it isn’t as enthralled in allowing you, its customers, to get out of their video business.
If you go online to cancel your cable, you can’t simply disconnect your service. Spectrum instructs you to call in, where the wait times are insufferable in many cases.
However, when you are online, if you want to add a service, which means more money for Spectrum. Miraculously, they will let you do that. It is disgusting.
The sides have agreed on an increase on the more than $10 per month all subscribers pay for ESPN’s networks.
Spectrum would like to have the direct to consumer products — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ — added to its service. Sounds reasonable, except Spectrum doesn’t want to pay any more money for the extra programming.
Spectrum will claim it is fighting for you, its paying subscribers. (Remember, they love you so much, they won’t even let you cancel online.) But it is not how the business works.
When ESPN created ESPN2 back in 1993, it was paid more money by the cable companies, who, in turn, passed that cost on to you and me. But, in turn, you and I got more games.
In this instance, Disney has spent billions on programming for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Disney sells these products directly to customers. No cable.
Disney doesn’t have room on its cable networks, such as ESPN and ESPN2, for many of these games so they are featured on ESPN+, which Disney directly charges ($9.99 per month) to access. It doesn’t make business sense that these games shouldn’t have some value if Spectrum wants them.
Another issue for Disney under Spectrum’s current terms being discussed is the “Most Favored” clause. If Disney agrees to a worse deal than it receives from Comcast or any other cable provider, then the new arrangement would take precedence. ESPN would be toast.
So Disney is directing fans to add its own platform, Hulu TV, while Spectrum wants you to go to FuboTV. For those who have access to Verizon Fios, you can switch your cable and broadband.
If you don’t know how to do any of this — and even if you do — neither side truly cares about you.
They punch us in the face and then in the stomach. And then they reach for our wallets. We just want to watch Rodgers’ debut without a fuss.