When ESPN and other Disney channels went dark on Spectrum last Thursday, I wrote in the next morning’s newsletter that it seemed like any other carriage dispute.
Boy, was I wrong. Instead of just bickering over carriage fees, Charter (which operates the Spectrum brand) wants Disney to help salvage the cable bundle by giving customers more flexibility and access to popular streaming services. Disney would rather keep things as they are, with higher pay TV prices to help cover its losses in streaming. The blackout continues as of this morning.
Loath as I am to side with a cable company, Charter is right. The cable bundle in its current form is a bad deal for customers and unsustainable for the TV business, and restructuring it would benefit everyone in the long run. If Disney disagrees, Charter should just let the whole thing come crashing down.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
The curious case of Spectrum credit: Meanwhile, some Spectrum TV customers say they’ve received a $15 bill credit by complaining about the Disney blackout to customer service. But as Phillip Swann reports, Spectrum won’t officially confirm the offer, and it may just be a one-time deal. It’s probably worth doing if you have the time, at least.
Max’s sports moves: Sources tell Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw that Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to stream live sports on Max this fall, but the story’s being widely misinterpreted—or just misrepresented—by the press.
To quote Shaw directly (emphasis mine): Warner plans to offer “live sports at no additional cost on its Max streaming service for a limited period of time later this year,” and will start charging extra in February or March. I take this to mean that you’ll still need a paid Max subscription. Several other publications have claimed that Max will stream live sports for free, but that’s not what the Bloomberg report says.
Anyway, the idea that Max’s sports coverage will eventually cost more than the core service is interesting, because it diverges from cable model in which everyone—sports fans or not—helped shoulder the exorbitant price of sports rights. TV networks have always fought putting sports on pricier packages—that’s even part of the Spectrum-Disney dispute—but they may have little choice in the streaming world, where customers can walk away if the price gets too high. Warner’s approach will be one to watch.
More catch-up
- Roku is removing Quibi shows from its free streaming service as it cuts costs and lays off staff.
- YouTube adds a one-week free trial for NFL Sunday Ticket.
- YouTube also tries showing longer ads on TV devices.
- Frndly TV is raising prices by $1 per month.
Save more money

Okay folks, I have a new Peacock coupon code for you, but with a caveat: I’m not sure if it will work. This code was graciously donated by a reader who received it in a promo email (thanks, David P.!), and while it appears to be valid on the checkout page, it’s unclear how many times Peacock will accept it.
So have at it: If you’re a new or returning subscriber, try the code PEAM4CDXARLPQJ on Peacock’s website, and see if that gets you a year of Peacock Premium for $20. If it works, great!
Otherwise, NTSEL3HMWTDP54N should still get you three months for $2.50 per month.
Other notable deals:
- Get three months of Disney+ for $2 per month, new and returning subscribers only.
- Costco has the third-gen Apple TV 4K for $100, ends today.
- Verizon customers can get a year of NFL+ Premium for $60. It’s the cheapest way to watch NFL Redzone without cable.
- The latest Paramount+ codes are GOLD, STARTREKDAY, or BILLIONS. Learn how to get it for free.
- See more ways to save on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.
Until next week,
Jared