The ongoing carriage dispute between cable giant Charter Communications and media powerhouse Walt Disney could potentially lead to the permanent removal of popular channels such as ESPN from Charter’s video service, according to Charter CEO Chris Winfrey. Surprisingly, Winfrey sees this outcome as a positive development for his company.
Charter customers have been left without access to ESPN, FX, ABC, and other Disney channels for more than a week now. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Technology conference in San Francisco, Winfrey explained that the rising prices of programming are making it difficult for cable companies like Charter to provide customers with content they desire at an affordable price. He believes that content creators are focusing on their direct-to-consumer subscription streaming services, neglecting their traditional linear businesses.
Winfrey indicated that it is increasingly likely that Charter will not restore Disney content to its cable platform. Instead, he sees an opportunity for Charter to offer a smaller package of channels at a more competitive price. This could potentially be a positive move for the company in the long run.
Despite the urgency felt by both Charter and Disney to resolve the issue, Winfrey believes that as some customers turn to alternative sources of video, Charter’s incentive to reach a resolution decreases. He states that if it benefits Charter shareholders and customers, they will move forward regardless of the impact on the rest of the video ecosystem.
According to Winfrey, the core of the issue lies in Disney’s pricing strategy for ESPN. He believes that if Disney takes a lead in addressing this matter, they can influence and drive the industry in the right direction.
It remains to be seen how this dispute will be resolved. Disney has yet to comment on the situation.
