Disney, Dish extend distribution contract talks

Dish Network subscribers don’t have to worry about losing ESPN or Disney Channel ... yet.

Walt Disney Co., parent of ABC, ESPN, ABC Family and several other networks, and the satellite broadcaster have agreed to a short-term extension of their current contract in the hopes of coming to terms on a new distribution deal, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The pact was set to expire Monday night. However, neither side has taken out attack ads against the other, which is often a telltale sign that talks are going south.

With more than 14 million subscribers, Dish is one of the nation’s largest pay-TV providers. The company has expressed concern about rising programming costs, particularly for sports channels such as ESPN.

Neither Dish nor Disney disclosed the length of the contract extension.

--Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times

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