Mickey Mouse is back on the Spectrum

Disney and Charter Communications, which owns and operates Spectrum cable, have reached an agreement that will restore Disney-owned channels like ESPN and ABC to the cable TV provider, ending a blackout that lasted for more than a week.

😡 Background: All Disney channels went dark for Spectrum customers on September 1, after Disney and Charter failed to come to terms over so-called carriage fees (payments that cable-TV operators pay to media companies to carry their networks).

According to a report published last week by The Hollywood Reporter, when the dispute was at its peak, the whole situation could only end in one of two ways: either Charter and Disney come to an agreement, which will force other streaming companies to link up with cable providers, or Charter – America’s second-largest cable provider with ~15 million subscribers – exits the industry, likely spelling the end of linear TV.

And, to roughly quote the great Elton John, Charter’s still standing.

📝📺 Deal points: Charter agreed to pay Disney higher rates to carry its TV channels, in return for being able to include the Disney+ and ESPN+ streaming services in some of its cable packages. And when Disney releases its much-anticipated direct-to-consumer version of its ESPN cable channel (which is separate from ESPN+), Charter pay-TV customers will be able to get it as well.