'America has a problem': Tennis fans furious over U.S. Open coverage

The U.S. Open is in full swing, but American fans are not happy despite top-level tennis action.

Supporters who have not been able to make it out to the U.S. Open have been keenly tuning in on television or streaming services. The only problem is, a corporate dispute has created quite the racket, and has left fans in the dark at the worst possible time.

While tennis fans have been locked in on the draw at the U.S. Open, another showdown has emerged that has proven to be just as important. Disney, who owns ESPN, and DirecTV are staring at each other from across the net.

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DirecTV and Disney were not able to come to an agreement at the end of August, which prompted ESPN to become unavailable on the platform.

The stalemate could not have escalated at a worse time for tennis fans, as U.S. Open action was heating up. Popular American tennis player Frances Tiafoe was ready to take the court against Alexi Popyrin, with the path cleared since Novak Djokovic had been eliminated on that side of the draw.

However, just before the match was set to begin, ESPN was pulled from DirecTV. Essentially Sports estimates that this left 11 million subscribers high and dry before the high-profile match.

Essentially Sports and other outlets captured the frustration. One fan wrote, “I have ESPN+ and basically can’t watch any of the marquee matches. What’s up with that???”

Another fan wrote, “I’ve managed to watch it on ESPN3 on a couple of TV’s, but not the one in my living room so it looks like I’m hanging out in my kitchen for the rest of the night.”

ESPN is a one stop shop when it comes to providing U.S. Open coverage, which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on a fan’s point of view. The Athletic reported that ESPN and the U.S. Open reached an agreement for just over $2 billion that locks the sports network in as the television partner through 2037.

The Sports Rush’s website wrote, “The irony here is hard to miss—just as ESPN was set to elevate American tennis coverage to new heights, DirecTV’s failure to secure a deal has thrown a wrench in the works.”

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According to the New York Post, Disney wrote, “We invest significantly to deliver the number one brands in entertainment, news and sports because that’s what our viewers expect and deserve. We urge DirecTV to do what’s in the best interest of their customers and finalize a deal that would immediately restore our programming.”

According to the New York Post, DirecTV’s statement was “The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners and now the American judicial system. They want to continue to chase maximum profits and dominant control at the expense of consumers…”

Like the fans, the U.S. Open is caught in the crossfire of the two companies. They told the New York Post, “It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 U.S. Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN.”

While the U.S. Open is the event that has been most significantly affected, sports fans have also had to endure the loss of college football exposure without ESPN.

Even though the college football season has just begun, some of the best teams in the country have faced off against one another. For example, college football fans had to find other ways to watch a big game between USC and Notre Dame on September 1.

This is the second straight year that Disney has found itself in a heated negotiation with a carrier. In 2023, they went toe to toe with Charter Communications. The New York Post reports that the dispute lasted 12 days before finally being resolved.

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The NFL season is also right around the corner, so the pressure for Disney and DirecTV to get a deal done will be massive.