ESPN Offers Solution to U.S. Open Players’ Cable Woes Amid Spectrum Dispute

Daniil Medvedev had said he would probably resort to illegal streaming.

Sports fans aren’t the only ones growing frustrated with Spectrum’s ongoing dispute with Disney. Athletes are, too. 

Nearly 15 million Spectrum cable subscribers lost access to Disney-owned channels including ABC and ESPN last week due to a dispute between Disney and Charter Communications, which operates Spectrum. Until Disney and Charter can come to an agreement, ESPN and ABC will remain blacked out for Spectrum subscribers. 

One interesting wrinkle in the saga is that players competing in the U.S. Open have Spectrum cable at their hotels. Because the tournament is being broadcast on ESPN, that means players have not been able to watch other matches on TV. 

But ESPN has found a solution. A company spokesperson told the Financial Times on Tuesday that it has offered players logins to the company’s internal app so that they can watch their opponents. ESPN also did the same for analyst John McEnroe, who was absent earlier in the tournament due to COVID-19. 

“He couldn’t watch and he was going nuts,” the spokesperson told the Times.

Players Daniil Medvedev and Coco Gauff expressed frustration this week over the cable dispute and the fact that they weren’t able to watch matches from their hotel. 

“I don’t know if it’s legal or illegal, but I have to find a way because I cannot watch on TV anymore,” Medvedev told reporters on Monday. “So, I have the internet and these pirate websites, so I watch tennis there. I have no other choice.”

Now, Medvedev does have another choice.