DirecTV, Disney reach deal to end blackout in time for college football

Disney 's networks have been dark for DirecTV's customers for roughly two weeks , leaving them without college football, the U.S. Open and " Monday Night Football " The dispute had underscored how valuable live sports is both for the media companies that own rights to air the games and the pay-TV providers who want to show them.

The two sides could not agree to terms on fees and bundle structures.

The deal comes in time for college football this Saturday , which airs on ABC , ESPN , SEC Network and ACC Network .

The entire pay-tv bundle has been upended in recent years as customers have turned to streaming services and other forms of entertainment in place of the traditional structure. The shift has fragmented the media ecosystem, and live sports — especially Disney 's ESPN — is considered the linchpin holding the bundle together due to its high viewership. DirecTV is in the midst of an ad campaign to remind consumers that it is more than a satellite TV company — it has a streaming bundle, too..