Disney, Cox Reach Carriage Renewal Deal

ESPNWatch, ABC News/Univision joint venture part of long-term deal

By R. Thomas Umstead, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/13/2012 6:01:57 PM

The Walt Disney Company and Cox Communications reached a long-term carriage deal that includes carriage of ESPN and its suite of digital and online services, the companies announced Thursday.

As part of the new multiyear agreement, authenticated Cox subscribers will receive immediate access to the WatchESPN digital service as well as WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD and WATCH Disney Junior, which will launch next week.

Financial terms of the agreement were not available at presstime.

In total approximately 70 services are covered by the deal including the new ABC News/Univision Joint Venture as well as broadcast network ABC, the upstart Longhorn Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN 3D, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN Full Court, ESPN3, and retransmission consent for KABC-TV, as well as more than 10 high-definition networks. 

The Cox deal marks the third major renewal deal for Disney. Earlier this year it reached similar deals with Comcast and Cablevision Systems Corp.

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