WHAT began as routine haggling over the rates satellite TV provider DirecTV would pay to distribute Walt Disney's television networks is turning into a referendum on the future of bundled programming, executives and experts said.
DirecTV's current public battle with Disney has led to 11 million DirecTV customers losing access to ESPN in the middle of the US Open tennis tournament and a week before the New York Jets are scheduled to meet the San Francisco 49ers on "Monday Night Football." The dispute is taking place against the backdrop of a competing plan by big media companies Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery to launch a streaming video joint venture devoted to sports, called Venu Sports.
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