Spectrum Dropping 8 Disney-Owned Channels Including Freeform, Disney Channel XD, More; Where Can You Stream Them Now?
As many in the TV industry speculated, the return of football has prompted a resolution in the carriage dispute between Spectrum and Disney. The two sides reached a new carriage agreement on Monday, Sept. 11, just hours ahead of the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
As part of the deal, Disney will provide Spectrum TV Select subscribers with no-cost login credentials to Disney+ Basic, the company’s ad-supported streaming plan. Additionally, Spectrum TV select customers will get access to the new streaming platform dedicated to ESPN when Disney launches that service in the coming years. ESPN+ will be provided at no additional charge to Spectrum TV Plus subscribers, as well.
That’s the good news for Spectrum customers. The bad news in the new deal is that effective immediately, Spectrum will no longer offer any of its customers access to eight of the Disney-owned channels that first went dark on Aug. 31, when the carriage dispute first erupted. Those channels are Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo.
Where Can You Watch Disney-Owned Channels No Longer Carried by Spectrum?
These eight Disney-owned channels include original TV series and movies on Freeform, top-quality blockbusters on FXM, age-appropriate content for younger viewers on Disney Junior, and more. If you’re worried about losing these channels, check out the live TV streaming services below to see which ones offer the most Disney-owned networks no longer being offered by Spectrum.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $86.99 | $94.99 | $82.99 | $28 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| Baby TV | - | - | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| Disney Junior | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| Disney XD | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| Freeform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FXM | + $43 | + $8 | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| FXX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Nat Geo Mundo | + $15 | + $20 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nat Geo Wild | + $43 | + $8 | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
DIRECTV STREAM carries seven of the eight Disney-owned channels no longer available on Spectrum TV. FXM and Nat Geo Wild are only available in the Ultimate plan or above, and you’ll need the Entertainment Español channel package to get Nat Geo Mundo. DIRECTV STREAM offers all new customers a five-day free trial, plus the ability to sign up for streaming services like Max free for three months when you subscribe.
Hulu + Live TV also bundles extra streaming services into your price. It costs $69.99 per month now but rises to $76.99 on Oct. 12. For that price, users will get each of the channels no longer offered by Spectrum except for Nat Geo Mundo, as well as free access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu on-demand thanks to the inclusion of the Disney Bundle in the subscription cost.
Fubo users will need to get the Fubo Extras package to get FXM and Nat Geo Wild, and the service does not offer Nat Geo Mundo. Otherwise, all the Disney-owned channels that Spectrum TV customers don’t get anymore are available with a Fubo subscription. Plans start at $85.98 after a free trial.
Sling TV will require you to purchase an add-on pack or two to get the Disney-owned channels you can’t see with a Spectrum TV subscription any longer. Even so, with base plans starting at $40 per month, and the add-on packages needed coming in at $6 each, it’s still a great way to save over a traditional cable bundle. Disney Junior and Disney XD are in the Kids Extra pack.
YouTube TV plans start at $72.99 per month. This service offers a good mix of local channels and cable networks, though it doesn’t include any other free streaming services in the price. Like Hulu + Live TV, the only Disney-owned channel no longer available on Spectrum TV that YouTube TV doesn’t offer is Nat Geo Mundo.