Charter Communications said subscribers of its Spectrum TV Select Plus video service are now getting the ESPN Plus streaming service at no additional cost.
The arrangement is the result of the groundbreaking carriage agreement that Charter and The Walt Disney Co., reached last year, following a contentious two-week blackout.
Charter customers also began getting Disney Plus in January.
During negotiations, Charter argued that its subscribers were already paying for Disney programming that was moving from networks like ABC and ESPN to Disney Plus.
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Disney agreed to the deal, which will expand the subscriber base for both Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
“Through our collaboration with Disney we are providing a better experience for our customers,” Charter executive VP, programming acquisition Tom Montemagno said. “Making ESPN Plus available to our TV Select Plus customers allows us to cater to sports fans’ evolving viewing habits with one high-value video package that includes the best of linear and direct-to-consumer sports content.”
“The addition of ESPN Plus to Spectrum’s offerings helps bridge the gap between linear TV and streaming services to provide a comprehensive entertainment solution for Spectrum customers,” The Walt Disney Co. president, platform distribution Justin Connolly said. “Spectrum TV Select Plus customers will now have access to ESPN’s linear and direct-to-consumer content, making ESPN Plus available to a wider audience and providing fans with even more ways to stay connected to the sports they love such as NCAA Women’s Basketball, FA Cup Soccer, NHL games and more.”
