Some of Spectrum’s customers are really not happy with the cable company’s dispute with Disney, which has resulted in the blackout of key channels like ESPN and several conference networks, and are taking legal action.
Several Florida-based Spectrum customers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the company in a U.S. District Court in Florida, faulting Spectrum and its parent, Charter Communications, for declining Disney’s offer to extend negotiations. You can see the lawsuit here, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. The customers blasted the cable company for not fulfilling its obligations to the customer and are asking for reimbursement for the lost channels.
Spectrum is offering a $15 credit to customers, but only if they call in to the customer service line and ask for the discount.
The lawsuit is just the latest fallout from the dispute, which could shake up how cable TV operates in the future. Charter has said the video ecosystem “is broken,” and sees an opportunity to try a new route with Disney. But the company has asked that its subscribers get free access to its direct-to-consumer services like Disney+ and the upcoming ESPN service, something Disney has balked at.
The plaintiffs also accuse Spectrum of violating Florida consumer protection laws by allowing the black out to happen, with college football fans especially angered because the season just began.
“Spectrum yanked the plug on college football fans and then blamed Mickey Mouse,” the lawsuit read. “Spectrum, the only cable country to fail to reach a deal with ESPN-ownedDisney, used this moment to rob their own customers of the joy of football season kickoff and their money to boot.”
It also claimed that subscribers continue to “suffer damages in the form of monetary losses due to overcharges for undelivered services and has experienced inconvenience and frustration.”
Despite some back and forth between the two companies, neither side has offered a substantive update.
A Charter spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.