ESPN and Verizon Settle Skinny Bundle Lawsuit

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

ESPN and Verizon said they settled their lawsuit over putting ESPN’s networks in skinny bundles of programming being offered to Verizon subscribers that didn’t include the sports giant.

Terms of the settlement were confidential and the companies said they wouldn’t be discussed.

"We have a long-standing relationship with Verizon," said Sean Breen, senior VP, affiliate sales, Disney and ESPN Media Networks. "We look forward to working with them to provide great content to consumers for years to come."

In April, Verizon announced it would let subscribers personalize their programming, letting them pick what networks they want. ESPN and some of the broadcast networks objected, and Disney, ESPN’s parent, filed a breach of contract suit against Verizon.

"ESPN is an important partner of ours," said Terry Denson, VP of content strategy and acquisition, Verizon. "We look forward to further collaborating with them to deliver customers content across all of our platforms."

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.