Tennessee football returns to Spectrum in time for the Florida game. What to know
Following an agreement between a major channel provider and cable service, Knoxville football fans who haven't cut the cord should be able to watch the remaining Vols games through their existing TV subscriptions.
Spectrum customers, who were locked out of the Sept. 9 game against Austin Peay, should have ESPN and SEC Network restored after The Walt Disney Company and Charter Communications came to terms, according to reports Sept. 11.
The agreement was announced hours before the first "Monday Night Football" game of the NFL season and just in time for Tennessee football fans gearing up to watch the Vols begin SEC play against Florida this weekend.
DIRECTV customers in Knoxville shouldn't worry either. Although the company is still in a weekslong dispute with Nexstar Media Group, which owns local ABC affiliate WATE, the remaining Vols games are more likely to appear on CBS, ESPN and the SEC Network, DIRECTV spokesperson Thomas Tyrer told Knox News last month.
About the Spectrum-Disney agreement and its impact on Tennessee vs. Florida 2023
Moving forward, Spectrum TV Select Plus customers will get access to ESPN+, which shared a simulcast with SEC Network+ for Tennessee football's Sept. 9 game.
ESPN+ has primarily been a standalone service, while SEC Network+ is available to anyone whose TV package includes the SEC Network.
For the Austin Peay game, that did not include customers of Spectrum, which was still in a dispute with Disney over its proposed cost for channels as traditional linear TV viewership continues to decline.
For the first time, linear TV dropped below 50% of all viewership in July, according to Nielsen. At 38.7%, streaming saw record-high views that same month.
Features added, channels removed for Spectrum customers
Also as part of the agreement, Spectrum TV Select customers will have access to the basic version of Disney+. These customers also will get ESPN's standalone streaming service once it's rolled out.
While this is all great news for sports fans, Spectrum customers no longer will have access to Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo.
How to watch Tennessee vs. Florida 2023
It's Gator Week, and the Vols are set to take on Florida in The Swamp.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 16 on ESPN.
Any Spectrum customers who purchased ESPN+ to watch the Austin Peay game should note the traditional ESPN channel is only available with a valid TV provider.
Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Spectrum, Disney deal returns ESPN for Tennessee football at Florida
