While conflicts between cable networks and the pay-TV providers that carry them are common, the one waging between Disney and Charter Communications has far-reaching implications for the media and pay TV industries, according to Wall Street analysts.
As the carriage dispute between Disney and Charter Communications stretches into its sixth day, millions of Charter’s Spectrum customers looking to access channels including ABC, ESPN, National Geographic and FX remain in the dark.
“We’re on the edge of a precipice.”
Charter CEO Chris Winfrey
“The stark reality is the media and distribution landscape has been building up to this moment for many years,” MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a research note.