Sept 8 (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider DirecTV has
filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), accusing Walt Disney ( DIS ) of failing to
negotiate in good faith and engaging in anticompetitive
behavior, the company said on Sunday.
In the complaint, DirecTV said Disney ( DIS ) has imposed
unreasonable conditions on the renewal of their distribution
agreement, including demands for bundling and penetration
requirements that a federal court recently ruled unlawful.
DirecTV also said that Disney ( DIS ) has insisted on a "fat bundle"
of channels, forcing the carrier to offer less popular
programming while Disney ( DIS ) provides consumers with cheaper,
"skinnier" packages.
A Disney ( DIS ) spokesperson, in response, said the company
continues to negotiate with DirecTV and urged it to finalize a
deal that would prioritize customers.
"We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to
our content as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said in an
emailed statement to Reuters.
The dispute has already resulted in over 11 million DirecTV
subscribers losing access to Disney ( DIS )-owned channels, including
ESPN ( DIS ), ahead of the National Football League season.
The standoff comes amid a broader debate over the future of
bundled programming in the streaming era, with DirecTV seeking
to offer more flexible, lower-cost packages without ESPN ( DIS ), while
Disney ( DIS ) argues for protecting its flagship networks.