Cutting the Cord After Disney-Spectrum Blackout? Here Are the Best Live TV Services for Watching ABC, ESPN, FX, More
Disney’s potential carriage dispute with Spectrum, the second-largest cable provider in the United States, is now a reality. As of 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 31, Disney-owned cable channels and ABC affiliates went dark for Spectrum users across the country.
Both sides have laid the blame at the other’s feet. Disney says it’s asking for a fair, “market-based” distribution rate for its channels, while Spectrum has called the fee increase demands from Disney “excessive.” Both sides are digging in their heels, and the dispute could drag out quite a while.
Disney CEO Bob Iger recently said that linear TV channels were not necessarily a “core” part of the business going forward and that they could be sold, so it may surprise some viewers to see the company playing hardball with a provider like Spectrum. But cable channels are still a profitable part of Disney’s business for now, and since it isn’t ready to launch a streaming version of ESPN without the need for a cable subscription yet, it must find a way to keep revenues from those channels coming as long as possible.
Which Disney-Owned Channels Are No Longer Available on Spectrum Cable Plans?
The following channels are no longer available to Spectrum cable customers:
In addition, there are seven ABC owned-and-operated affiliates around the country that are blacked out due to the dispute. They are:
- ABC7 Chicago
- ABC7 Los Angeles
- ABC7 New York
- ABC7 San Francisco
- ABC11 Raleigh-Durham
- ABC13 Houston
- ABC30 Fresno
Which Live TV Streaming Services Carry the Disney-Owned Channels No Longer Offered by Spectrum?
With the start of college football this weekend, and the NFL season kicking off Sept. 7, sports fans may understandably be panicking about how to watch their favorite team play. Parents with kids are likewise distressed, as networks like Disney Channel and National Geographic are no longer available as the school year gets going.
Related: How to Watch College Football if Spectrum, Disney Carriage Dispute Causes ESPN and Other Channels to Go Dark
Don’t worry though, because The Streamable will show you which live TV streaming platforms carry these channels, and unlike a cable plan, they won’t require you to sign up for a long-term contract or rent a cable box to watch.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $94.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ACC Network | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Baby TV | - | - | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| Disney Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Disney Junior | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| Disney XD | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN Deportes | + $15 | + $6 | + $5 | - | + $6 | - | - | |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNEWS | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNU | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Freeform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FXX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Longhorn Network | + $15 | - | - | - | + $11 | - | - | |
| Nat Geo Mundo | + $15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nat Geo Wild | + $40 | + $8 | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| National Geographic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| SEC Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
If all or most of these channels are important to you, DIRECTV STREAM is the best live TV service for cord-cutters leaving Spectrum behind. Many of the college sports channels are only available with the Sports Pack add-on, but that gives users the option of whether they want to pay extra to see more sports or not. DIRECTV STREAM’s plans start at $74.99 per month after a five-day free trial, and new users can sign up to get three months of services like Max, STARZ and others for free when they subscribe.
Fubo has a channel lineup that is nearly as complete, and even carries more of the sports channels in its base package than DIRECTV STREAM. However, Fubo’s trial period is variable depending on when a user signs up, and 98% of customers will have to pay at least $10.99 per month on top of its $74.99 base price because they have a regional sports network in their area. Still, for $85.98 per month customers get a wide array of sports networks, so if you’re a big sports fanatic Fubo is the way to go.
Hulu + Live TV offers most of the Disney-owned channels dropped by Spectrum in its base plan, which makes sense considering it too is owned by Disney. This service will increase in price from $69.99 per month to $76.99 on Oct. 12, but it still comes with the added bonus of including Disney+, Hulu on-demand, and ESPN+ in its subscription price.
Sling TV does require users to purchase add-on channel packs if they want extensive sports channel offerings or entertainment networks like Disney Channel. However, if you’re just looking for the cheapest way to get ESPN Sling is the way to go. All markets get ESPN in the Sling Orange package, which starts at $40 per month.
YouTube TV carries nearly as many channels as DIRECTV STREAM and Hulu + Live TV. Unfortunately, it also uses the variable free trial method, and it does not bundle any streaming services into the price of a subscription. Plans for YouTube TV start at $72.99 per month.