The upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars may not be viewable for some, and as one might expect, fans of the show aren’t happy.
The show is preparing to premiere Season 32 in the next month or so, with a cast set to be revealed soon.
DWTS was presented on the Disney+ streaming platform last season, but this season will also be back on the ABC network.
However, some cable customers will be unable to see the season based on recent developments involving Charter Spectrum Cable and The Walt Disney Company.
Charter revealed that The Walt Disney Company has removed its programming from its lineup due to not approving of the deal Charter Spectrum offered.
Due to those ongoing negotiations, customers with the Spectrum cable service are already unable to watch many popular networks, and many may be in the dark when it comes to Season 32.
Charter says Disney didn’t agree to the ‘fair deal’ they offered
Based on Charter’s statement, they offered a “fair deal” to Disney, but the company demanded “an excessive increase,” making it difficult to come to an agreement.
“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,” the statement said
Charter also informed customers that they’re fighting hard “to hold the line on programming rates imposed on us by companies like Disney.”
“We ask for your patience as we continue to work out a deal that is fair for everyone,” the company said in their statement, as they apologized for the inconvenience.
They revealed all of the Disney-owned channels and stations that this removal of programming would impact, and it was quite the list.
Among the popular channels mentioned were the ESPN networks, Disney Channel, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, National Geographic, and Freeform.
Charter also mentioned that “ABC On Demand programming and specific “local ABC stations” would also be affected. Those included ABC7 Chicago, ABC7 Los Angeles, ABC7 New York, ABC7 San Francisco, ABC11 Raleigh-Durham, ABC13 Houston, and ABC30 Fresno.
In addition, Charter provided a link to “email their executives,” where Charter will send a pre-written message to Walt Disney Company on behalf of customers.
According to a Yahoo! Finance report, Disney pulled its video channels from Charter on Thursday, August 31. That likely left many customers confused and upset as presentations of the US Open Tennis tournament and college football games became unavailable.
Fans express outrage over DTWS situation with Charter
At the Reddit forum dedicated to Dancing with the Stars, one fan shared the news of the blackout situation for some Charter customers. Other frustrated fans chimed in with their thoughts about the “money grabbing” situation, as one commenter put it.
“Oh wow good to know! These blackouts are obnoxious,” a commenter said, reacting to the news.
Another indicated they’d received an “angry text” from their parents who said they’d just lost ABC. The commenter also asked for suggestions about how to watch ABC shows.
“at first I thought I’d be fine since I have Disney+ for DWTS…but ugh, I won’t be able to see the GMA cast announcement on the 13th!” another individual wrote.
“Nothing like a money grabbing company like DISNEY to try and stick it to the everyday person who is already getting killed at the pump and grocery store,” a commenter said, adding, “The greed will destroy you. I will not spend another penny for any of your products.”
Some solutions other commenters brought up included using popular streaming services such as Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV. Some of these are available to new customers for a free trial. However, a caveat might be that streaming services could also blackout local programming based on various restrictions.
Another option could be an over-the-air hi-definition antenna to pick up local channels for free. These can also have an issue, as not every residential location is ideal for antenna reception.
For now, customers are looking at their options, with many hoping that something gets worked out between Charter and Walt Disney Company without a severe hike in monthly cable costs.
As of this writing this, Dancing with the Stars has yet to receive an official premiere date, but it should soon. The official reveal of the Season 32 cast members arrives on ABC’s Good Morning America on September 13.
Dancing with the Stars Season 32 premieres in Fall 2023 on Disney+ and ABC.