Carlos Alcaraz clash hit by blackout as US Open release ‘disappointed’ statement

Tennis fans watching the US Open on a cable TV network were left furious on Thursday night after Carlos Alcaraz’s second-round match was blacked out. ESPN2 went off the air for customers of Charter Spectrum – the USA’s second-biggest cable TV provider and the largest in both New York and Los Angeles – following a dispute with the channel’s owners, Disney. The renowned sports broadcasters also switched off its main ESPN channel, which was due to air a college football match at the same time. Interruption to the coverage affected 14.7 million subscribers and whilst paying customers were naturally not best pleased, neither was the US Tennis Association. USTA spokesperson Chris Widmaier said in a statement: “We’re very disappointed for our fans and viewers around the country that Spectrum and Charter could not resolve their dispute with Disney, resulting in a loss of ESPN coverage of Thursday night´s matches. “We´re very hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible.” Charter Spectrum viewers wanting to watch Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open were left disappointed. (Image: Getty) Statements released by both Disney and Charter Spectrum suggested that the negotiations had been rumbling on for some time. Disney Entertainment said: “Disney Entertainment has successful deals in place with pay TV providers of all types and sizes across the country, and the rates and terms we are seeking in this renewal are driven by the marketplace. “We´re committed to reaching a mutually agreed upon resolution with Charter and we urge them to work with us to minimize the disruption to their customers.” The fallout has not just affected ESPN’s channels either. Disney-branded channels, Freeform, FX, National Geographic and all ABC-owned stations have all halted transmission on Charter Spectrum. Carlos Alacaraz (right) beat Lloyd Harris to reach the US Open third round. (Image: Getty) A counter statement from the cable TV provider said: “We offered Disney a fair deal, yet they are demanding an excessive increase. They also want to limit our ability to provide greater customer choice in programming packages forcing you to take and pay for channels you may not want. “The rising cost of programming is the single greatest factor in higher cable TV prices, and we are fighting hard to hold the line on programming rates imposed on us by companies like Disney.” Disney receives more than £1.7 billion per year from Charter Spectrum as part of a carriage deal agreed in 2019, according to S&P Global (as per the Mail ), with ESPN’s channels routinely being the most expensive to broadcast for cable companies. Alcaraz is back in action on Saturday against British hope Dan Evans , but it remains to be seen whether Charter Spectrum customers will be able to watch the contest from the comfort of their own homes.