(VIDEO) "I have no other choice": Medvedev laments lack of US Open coverage on American television

Tennis News
Tuesday, 05 September 2023 at 16:19
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Daniil Medvedev has revealed how he is keeping up with other players' matches at the US Open amid the blackout caused by a dispute between Charter Communications (Spectrum) and Disney.

Third seed Medvedev has made it to the quarter-finals of the last Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows after he defeated Alex de Minaur in four sets to set up a clash with his compatriot and eighth seed Andrey Rublev.

However, he has voiced his frustration at not being able to watch the matches going around him as US Open coverage in the States was hit by a disagreement between the Walt Disney Co. and the company in charge of TV channel Spectrum. He is not the only one affected by this, as millions of Americans have found themselves unable to watch their home Slam due to the dispute leaving their television screens blank.

Medvedev discloses his solution to lack of coverage

However, the 27-year-old revealed in his post-match press conference that he had found a solution to the lack of coverage, albeit a controversial one.

"I cannot watch it [the US Open] on TV anymore!" he said, "I don’t know if it’s legal or illegal, but I have to find a way because I cannot watch it on TV. I got Internet, probably this, how you call it, pirate websites, I watch tennis there. I have no other choice.

"But at the same time sometimes I do want to watch some series. Do I put it on the phone or not? I watched Djokovic with Djere until it was 2:30 and then I had to go to sleep," he added.

Disney and Spectrum voice their sides of the argument

The dispute seems to be primarily about how much to charge customers. As a result of the two parties being unable to agree, Disney pulled its coverage from Spectrum. Both companies have commented on the issue, with Disney releasing a statement:

"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."

Meanwhile, Spectrum displayed a statement on their channel.

"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. We are very disappointed with their position, which has negatively impacted our customers. Spectrum is on your side and fighting to keep costs down while protecting and maximizing customer choice."

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