Verizon's Custom TV Violates Existing Agreements, ESPN Says
ESPN provided an updated statement on Verizon FiOS's new Custom TV bundling service (see 1504220058) Wednesday night: "The Walt Disney Company has been at the forefront of working with distributors to create new and innovative consumer offerings on multiple platforms.…
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The issue here is that Verizon made unilateral decisions on how to offer ABC Family, Disney Channels, ESPN and ESPN2 that are in violation of our existing agreements," an ESPN spokeswoman emailed. Major broadcasters are "once again" blocking progress and consumer choice, the American Television Alliance (ATVA) said Thursday. Verizon's Custom TV would offer subscribers a customized version of cable programming with greater choice, ATVA said. "Rather than supporting an innovative new option for consumers, big broadcasters are threatening to sue Verizon," it said. ATVA urged Congress to look into why broadcasters that profit from taxpayer-owned airwaves are "desperate to limit consumer choice."