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Disney warns AT&T subs they could lose ABC, ESPN, other Disney cable nets

The Walt Disney Co. and AT&T Inc. are facing a carriage deadline that could result in a service disruption for AT&T subscribers.

Access to ABC (US)-owned stations and legacy cable networks, including ESPN (US), is at stake. The sports network flagged the situation with messaging during its "Monday Night Football" season-opening doubleheader.

The potential disconnect encompasses eight ABC-owned stations, including WABC-TV in New York, KABC-TV in Los Angeles and WLS-TV in Chicago; ESPN networks; Freeform (US); Disney Channel (US); Disney Junior (US); and Disney XD (US). Those networks would no longer be available on DIRECTV and U-verse platforms, as well as the streaming service AT&T NOW, formerly DIRECTV NOW.

It is unclear when the contract expires, as neither side would specify a date.

The carriage contretemps evidently does not extend to National Geographic Channel (US) and FX (US), the cable networks that Disney now owns as part of its purchase of most 21st Century Fox Inc. assets. According to a source familiar with the contract, a renewal for those properties was reached last fall, before Disney finalized its purchase of the Fox properties.

The source said that agreement also included distribution of the ACC Network (US), the channel dedicated to Atlantic Coast Conference athletics, on DIRECTV. On a Disney website that includes a phone number for viewers to get more information about the affiliate situations with AT&T, a recorded message indicates DIRECTV customers could lose ACC Network.

In a statement, Disney said since its contract with AT&T for ABC, ESPN, Disney and Freeform networks expires soon, it has "a responsibility to make our viewers aware of the potential loss of our programming." However, Disney said it is still "fully committed to reaching a deal."

AT&T expressed disappointment that Disney put its "viewers into the middle of the negotiations."

"We are on the side of consumer choice and value and want to keep Disney channels and owned-and-operated local ABC stations in eight cities in our customers' lineups," AT&T said. "We hope to avoid any interruption to the services some of our customers care about."

In recent months, AT&T has faced carriage disagreements that turned into blackouts before the content offerings ultimately were reinstated. CBS Corp. and AT&T in August ended a blackout by inking a new multiyear pact that provides for carriage of CBS (US)-owned stations as well as national cable networks CBS Sports Network (US) and Smithsonian Channel (US). The deal also encompasses carriage on the AT&T TV platform, which livestreams video over a self-installed set-top box.

Later in August, Nexstar Media Group Inc. and AT&T ended a blackout that began in July with a multiyear renewal for more than 120 stations owned by the broadcaster, serving 97 markets.

Altitude Sports & Entertainment (US) is also engaged in a carriage dispute with AT&T. The regional sports network home to the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets and the National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche, in fact, has gone dark to video customers of AT&T, Comcast Corp. and DISH Network Corp.