Why is 49ers-Jets not on DirecTV? Explaining contract dispute with Disney ahead of Monday Night Football

The 2024 NFL season is underway, and one game remains in Week 1.

The New York Jets travel west to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the first Monday Night Football matchup of the year. The game will air on ABC as usual, but some fans may not be able to watch it. 

LIVE: Follow Jets vs. 49ers updates from 'Monday Night Football'

DirectTV and Disney are in contract disputes that have lingered into the NFL season. Whether Disney's strategy when the last contract was signed was to have some extra leverage is unknown, but DirecTV is holding firm that it will not back down and that Disney is the unruly party in the discussions. 

Week 1's Monday Night Football matchup was seen as a benchmark deadline for a deal to get done, but as of Monday morning, no ground has publicly been made. If no deal is agreed upon, DirecTV subscribers will continue to lack access to ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Disney Channel and many more. 

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Why is 49ers-Jets not on DirecTV?

DirecTV users currently are unable to watch any of the ESPN channels due to an ongoing contract dispute between AT&T and Disney.

Monday Night Football airs on ABC and ESPN, which Disney owns. This is one of the many bargaining chips that Disney holds firmly on when trying to get AT&T, the parent company of DirecTV, to agree to a new deal. 

When DirecTV customers try to access a channel owned by Disney, they are greeted with a message saying, "Disney wants you to miss out on Monday Night Football on ABC and ESPN while DirecTV works to reach a new agreement."

DirecTV subscribers will also not be able to stream the game on ESPN+. 

Disney cut off its channels for DirecTV subscribers on Sunday, Sept. 1. This date was notable because it was the first big weekend for college football, Labor Day weekend and toward the end of the US Open. 

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ESPN and DirecTV dispute updates

Disney executives went on the offensive, saying in a press release, "DirecTV chose to deny millions of subscribers access to our content just as we head into the final week of the US Open and gear up for college football and the opening of the NFL season." 

DirecTV chief content officer Rob Thun responded with a statement that included, "The Walt Disney Co. is once again refusing any accountability to consumers, distribution partners."

Unfortunately, no agreement has been made as of 9:45 a.m. ET on the morning of the game. At this time, DirecTV has taken steps to fight Disney, including giving subscribers credit when accessing ESPN from another company and also issuing a formal complaint with the FCC. 

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How to watch Monday Night Football without DirecTV

If no agreement has been made, you will not be able to watch the game directly through DirecTV, but they are offering a credit with Disney's competitors and a $20 credit for customers who stay.

DirecTV also gives customers a $30 credit to sign up for Sling's orange tier, which includes the ESPN channels. 

Fubo carries all of the ESPN channels, so if you are upset at the dispute because you lack access to sports, this could be a great solution. DirecTV is also giving customers switching to Fubo a $30 credit for the first month.