Emmy-Winning Show Disrupted by New Disney-Charter Deal That Removes Popular Cable Network

Disney and Charter Spectrum just had a big business feud that took a toll on some shows – including the final season of Archer. According to a report by Deadline, all Disney-owned cable and broadcast networks – including Archer’s home, FXX – were removed from Charter Spectrum’s cable systems for 10 days from Aug. 31 until the two companies found a resolution on Monday. In that time, Charter customers missed out on two brand new episodes of Archer Season 14 — and they won’t be able to watch new episodes on FXX

Archer has been an animation powerhouse for over a decade now, and it is going out in style with one last season that premiered on Aug. 30. Sadly, the 14.7 million customers who rely on Charter Spectrum for their cable packages were not able to watch as the two companies bickered over a deal. Even now that they have come to an agreement, Archer is not available – FXX is not on Charter Spectrum’s cable offerings at the time of this writing. This impacts some other major shows right now as well, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, regarded by many as FXX’s flagship series.

New episodes of Archer are available on Hulu week-to-week, so fans will still be able to watch it there if they have a Hulu subscription in addition to their cable package. Still, since Charter Spectrum is the second-most-used cable provider in the U.S., this is no small loss for FXX. Sources told Deadline that FX executives are concerned, knowing how loyal the Archer fandom is. They are reportedly reaching out and hoping to find a way for Charter Spectrum customers to watch the show linearly for one last season.

The other FXX shows are less likely to get such special treatment. It’s Always Sunny has two more seasons on order, and although the Hollywood labor strikes are delaying work on them right now, its absence will certainly be noted when the time comes. Meanwhile, other shows from the Disney ecosystem will make abrupt disappearances from the cable service as well, including Grown-ish on Freeform and Bluey on Disney Junior.

The cable networks FXX, FXM, Freeform, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Nat Geo Wild were all dropped from Charter Spectrum and will each reportedly lose about 20 percent of their reach as a result. Disney owns both Hulu and Disney+, and may be counting on those services to pick up the slack. Whether fans of each and every show find their way there remains to be seen – especially in the confusion of constantly shifting licensing agreements and streaming service cuts.

Disney and Charter Spectrum’s stand-off is regarded as a milestone by many industry insiders in the transition from cable to streaming dominance. The two companies’ primary concern was Monday Night Football, which was key in their resolution. The two companies now have a deal that will last several years, for better or worse.