BREAKING NEWS: Disney-Spectrum Dispute Likely to Keep UCLA Bruins Off Many TVs Saturday

Disney has pulled all of their channels off Spectrum's cable systems due to a contract dispute.

Joe Piechowski

Sep 1, 2023

Spectrum customers who turn to any Disney-owned channel are, instead, greeted with a series of messages about the negotiations between the two media giants. (Photo Credit: Joe Piechowski

At about 5 pm yesterday afternoon, Disney removed all Disney-owned channels including all ESPN networks from Spectrum’s cable systems due to a contract dispute over fees. The move affects nearly 15 million customers nationwide with about a third of them here in Southern California.

That poses a problem for many Bruin fans who have Spectrum as their cable provider because the football season opener between UCLA and Coastal Carolina will be broadcast on ESPN on Saturday night.

If Spectrum is your cable TV provider, that means you will probably not be able to watch the game live on TV unless the dispute is resolved in time for the 7:30 pm PT kickoff.

At this point, that seems unlikely.

After all, the timing of the removal seems designed to force Spectrum’s hand or risk losing angry customers who are tuning in for the start of the college football season.

So, what is a Bruin fan whose provider is Spectrum to do?

Well, the best option is probably to go to the game, of course! And, if you’re thinking that it would cost a lot to go, then you might have missed the news that UCLA Athletics and the UCLA football team announced a fundraising initiative for the Maui community following devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island.

According to an article on uclabruins.com:

Two complimentary tickets will be provided for the UCLA football contest against Coastal Carolina, as well as UCLA's Sept. 16 home matchup with North Carolina Central, to fans who donate at least $10 toward the efforts of at least one of the following charitable organizations: The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division, American Red Cross in support of Hawaii wildfires relief, Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund, Maui Food Bank or Chef Hui.
In order to receive tickets for the opener, fans must display a receipt showing a donation of at least $10 at the Today's Sales or Customer Service booth between Gates A and B outside the Rose Bowl, prior to the end of the game's third quarter.

So, for five bucks a person, you will get to cheer on your favorite college football team in person!

Let’s use this to pack the Rose Bowl on Saturday night!

The temperature on Saturday for tailgating should be manageable. The high in Pasadena Saturday should be about 77 while you’re tailgating. The fact that the opener is a night game means that no one will be sitting in the heat like we tried to do for last year’s Bowling Green game. It should be a pleasant 74 at kickoff and the temperature will drop to around 69 by the end of the game.

Now, if you just absolutely cannot, or will not, come out to the Rose Bowl Saturday night, never fear. There are certainly other options.

You could find a local establishment which uses satellite service to feed their TVs and watch the game there. You could also try to find a watch party through your local UCLA Alumni network, though you may want to steer clear of the UCLA Alumni Assocation. They only have two networks listed for watch parties and I know the Conejo Valley Alumni network is planning on watching the game at Sunset Terrace at the Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks, yet the watch party is not mentioned anywhere on the alumni website.

Of course, there’s always radio, satellite radio and internet audio. Later today, we will have our usual How to Watch, Listen and Stream article. Unfortunately, for Spectrum customers, watching and streaming won’t apply on your cable TV & internet subscription at home because, in addition to removing the channels from your channel lineup, you will get a message telling you the ESPN channels are not a part of your channel lineup so you won’t be able to stream it either. Our How to Watch article will have details on how to listen to Saturday night’s game.

Finally, Pac-12 Networks will broadcast the game as part of its Pac-12 Football in 60 series, which takes a Pac-12 football game and edits it down to make it watchable in just 60 minutes instead of three and a half hours. But that won’t air until Monday night at 9 pm PT.

Considering the fact that the Pac-12 looks like it will disappear after this season, can you believe that the best option for many Bruin fans to watch this game on TV will likely be on Pac-12 Networks? Me neither.

How’s that for #Pac12AfterDark?

The Mighty Bruin will provide updates on this situation in the event that something changes.

Go Bruins!!!

Thanks again for supporting The Mighty Bruin. Your paid subscriptions make this site possible. Questions, comments, story ideas, angry missives and more can be sent to to @TheMightyBruin on Twitter.