Disney and DirecTV reach an agreement, and sports fans can breathe a sigh of relief

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Why millions of sports fans can get back in the game this weekend

Sports fans who are also DirecTV subscribers can breathe a little easier this weekend.

You’ll be able to watch sports again.

As we outlined earlier this month, a dispute between Disney and DirecTV over carriage rights and carriage fees led to the satellite service stopping airing Disney-owned channels on September 1.

That included both ESPN and ABC, and it came just as the NFL season was beginning, the college football season was roaring into full swing, and the U.S. Open, which airs on both networks, heading into the final matches.

That meant over 11 million subscribers lost the ability to watch events such as the season-opening installment of Monday Night Football, which saw the San Francisco 49ers defeat Aaron Rodgers and the visiting New York Jets.

However, an agreement was reached between the two sides on Saturday, hours before another full slate of college football is scheduled to get underway.

“We’d like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend,” the companies said in a joint statement.

Under the terms of the agreement between Disney and DirecTV, which the two sides described as “robust,” customers can expect “market-based terms” of Disney channels. In addition, there will be the opportunity for “multiple genre-specific options — sports, entertainment, kids & family — inclusive of Disney’s linear networks along with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.”

You can read the full statement here.