After a nearly two-week stoppage of popular Disney channels, DirecTV and Disney have reached an agreement to restore ESPN, ABC, FX and other channels to the satellite TV provider's approximately 11 million customers nationwide

The resolution of the impasse comes just in time for sports fans to watch the latest college football games on ESPN and ABC's Emmy Awards telecast scheduled for Sunday night Disney's network blacked out for DirecTV customers on September 1 The blackout prevented approximately 11 million viewers from watching ESPN's first two Monday Night Football games of the season, the US Open, and ABC News' presidential debates through their satellite subscriptions

“We appreciate the patience of all affected viewers and are pleased to be able to restore Disney's entire network portfolio in time for this weekend's college football and Emmy Awards,” the companies said in a joint statement Saturday

At issue was DirecTV's request to offer customers skinnier, genre-specific bundles, which Disney had argued did not reflect the value offered by the Disney network On Saturday, the two companies announced that they had reached an agreement to seek “market-based terms” for pricing

DirectTV and Disney described the new distribution agreement as “an unprecedented collaboration” that “allows customers to customize their video experience through more flexible options”

In addition to ending blackouts and bringing back ABC, ESPN, and FX to DirectTV subscribers, the deal adds new bundled packages that include Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus streaming services

The terms also allow DirecTV to offer Disney streaming services a la carte, along with bundle options by multiple genres, including sports, entertainment, and kids and families In addition, DirecTV may deliver ESPN's stand-alone streaming service, which is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2025, at no additional cost to subscribers