According to reports, the dispute had been heating up over the course of the last week. DirecTV subscribers watching ESPN would see alerts informing them that they could lose access to ESPN and the corresponding networks. The message then instructed viewers to visit KeepMyESPN.com to learn more. On the website, Disney says, “We continuously work with our Cable, Satellite, Telco and Streaming distribution partners to continue to offer fans our networks on their TV channel lineups. Disney Entertainment has a highly successful track record of negotiating with providers of all types and sizes across the country and is committed to reaching fair, market-based rates and terms.”

Early on Monday, a Disney representative reached out to USA Today urging DirecTV to stop making distractions and instead prioritize their customers. They believe returning “Monday Night Football” to their customers would be a good start. Disney also claimed that they are working tirelessly to come to a deal, saying “We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible.” This claim contradicts what DirecTV’s chief content officer Rob Thun said after the initial blackout on Sep. 1, when he stated that “there’s nobody in a room talking at this point” when asked how close DirecTV and Disney were to reaching an agreement.