There's good news for General Hospital fans. After a thirteen-day standoff, satellite giant DirecTV has reached an agreement with Disney to once again carry Disney-affiliated channels.
General Hospital back on DirecTV
On September 1, DirecTV removed all Disney channels from its satellite packages, which included ABC, the network that airs General Hospital. Disney-owned ESPN was also affected by the dispute, leaving DirecTV soap and sports fans out of luck for nearly two weeks. While GH is available on Hulu by 8 PM ET most nights, not all fans have Hulu subscriptions.
The dispute between DirecTV and Disney was over carriage fees, meaning the money Disney charged the satellite company to carry its channels. Disney wanted DirecTV to offer its channels as bundles, but DirecTV refused, claiming it didn't want to force customers to pay for channels they might not want to watch.
On September 14, Disney and DirecTV finally reached a deal that would allow DirecTV customers to subscribe to reduced-priced bundles featuring specific genres they are interested in. The announcement came just in time for the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards set to air on ABC on the evening of September 15.
"Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more flexible options," the companies said in a statement, according to Soap Opera Digest. "DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV’s customers. We’d like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend."
GH back in the nick of time
DirecTV customers can finally watch GH again just as the stories start heating up. Alexis has now been arrested for killing John Cates when she knows darn well that Sonny was the culprit.
Lulu's still fighting for her life, waiting for a liver donor as she remains in a four-year coma. Anna and Jason just left for Somalia to find Lulu's brother Lucky in the hopes of saving her life. However, they may need to save Lucky's life first, as Sidwell keeps him hostage. With GH back on DirecTV, fans don't have to look elsewhere to get in on all the action.
Catch all-new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC and Hulu.
