The Spectrum / Disney blackout led a US Open player to pirate the US Open
Photo by Sarah Stier / Getty Images
Whenever there’s another of these drawn-out carriage disputes between cable providers and content owners — and they happen often — I always say that the customers are the ones who get hurt the most. Last week, nearly 15 million Spectrum subscribers abruptly lost their ability to watch ESPN, ABC, and other Disney-owned channels right as Labor Day weekend got underway — and smack dab in the middle of the US Open. In the days since, Disney and Spectrum parent Charter Communications have been throwing blame back and forth like a hot potato.
But many people are getting fed up with the blackout, and this includes the US Open athletes themselves. “I guess in a lot of hotels, they have Spectrum, so I cannot watch it on TV anymore,” Daniil…
