Class Action Seeks to Hold Spectrum Accountable for Disney Blackout
Spectrum “pulled the plug on college football and then blamed Mickey Mouse,” reads the first line of a class action complaint filed Wednesday (docket 8:23-cv-01994) in U.S. District Court for Middle Florida in Tampa that seeks to hold Charter Communications…
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accountable for the Disney blackout, calling Charter's Spectrum the only cable company to fail to reach a carriage deal with Disney-owned ESPN. “Family and friends across America were eagerly waiting” for the start of the college football season with ESPN’s Aug. 31 8 p.m. EDT telecast of the Florida Gators game against the Utah Utes, said the complaint. “Instead, the Gator Nation, along with football fans across the country, experienced a ‘Lucy taking the football away from Charlie Brown’ moment as Spectrum pulled the football game, broadcasted a blackout, and then claimed, ‘Disney made us do it,’” it said. Spectrum “used this moment to rob their own customers of the joy of football season kickoff and their money to boot,” it said. Tampa plaintiff Jen Gonzalez brings her class action for Charter’s failure “to fulfill contractual obligations, and engaging in deceptive trade practices, as they continued billing for services not delivered,” it said. She seeks an order requiring Charter to “supply services” or to reimburse class members “for the channels not provided,” it said. Charter didn't comment. Utah defeated Florida 24-11 in that opening game.