(Reuters) – Satellite television service DirecTV Inc has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accusing it of violating U.S. copyright laws. Disney Apple Inc. (NYSE:) said Sunday it has accused the company of failing to negotiate in good faith and engaging in anticompetitive conduct.
In the complaint, DirecTV said Disney imposed unreasonable terms on the renewal of its distribution agreement, including bundling demands and hacking requirements that a federal court recently ruled were illegal.
DirecTV also said Disney insisted on offering a “big bundle” of channels, which forced the company to offer less popular programming while Disney offered consumers cheaper, “slimmer” packages.
In response, a Disney spokesperson said the company is continuing to negotiate with DirecTV and is urging them to finalize a deal that will prioritize customers.
“We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
The dispute has already resulted in more than 11 million DirecTV subscribers losing access to Disney-owned channels, including ESPN, ahead of the National Football League season.
The showdown comes amid a broader debate over the future of bundled programming in the streaming era, with DirecTV seeking to offer more flexible, lower-cost packages without ESPN, while Disney claims to protect its major networks.
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