"Their greed knows no bounds; Should reconsider such avaricious partner" - Fan left fuming as US Open coverage access lost before Frances Tiafoe match

DirecTV customers were in for a rude shock when they found out that ESPN's US Open coverage went dark due to an ongoing carriage dispute between the cable television company and Disney. The blackout came on Sunday, September 1, ahead of the eagerly-anticipated fourth-round clash between Frances Tiafoe and surprise package Alexei Popyrin, who had upset defending champion Novak Djokovic in the previous round.

Tiafoe had edged past Aleksandar Kovacevic, Alexander Shevchenko and Ben Shelton to reach the fourth round. Meanwhile, Popyrin had sealed his fourth-round place for the first time at a Major by winning against Kwon Soon-woo, Pedro Martinez and Djokovic. However, ahead of Tiafoe and Popyrin's contest, DirecTV customers experienced a blackout of all Disney channels, including ESPN.

Soon, the US Open issued a statement of its own, notifying viewers about the development and how they could access ESPN via streaming platforms. However, the hardcourt Major informed that accessing ESPN via these streaming platforms would require fans to buy separate subscriptions.

"It is disappointing that fans and viewers around the country will not have the opportunity to watch the greatest athletes in our sport take part in the 2024 US Open due to an unresolved negotiation between DirecTV and Disney, resulting in the loss of access to ESPN. We are hopeful that this dispute can be resolved as quickly as possible. During this outage, ESPN can be alternatively accessed by streaming services including Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV and Fubo TV. ESPN is not free on these platforms unless there is a free trial option," the US Open informed via a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Unsurprisingly, fans vented their anger at the development, with many of them chastizing Disney for what they perceived as the company's "greed".

"ESPN/Disney pulls this ALL the time. Their greed knows no bounds. Perhaps the US Open should reconsider doing business with such an avaricious, sloppy corporate partner," a fan wrote.

"You give a woke company like Disney too much power then this is what happens," commented another fan.

"Disney is monopoly everywhere," another opined.

Others who already had subscriptions to access the alternate US Open viewing options turned thankful. Some also revisited last year's edition of the hardcourt Major, when a similar situation surfaced.

"Thank goodness I have YouTube TV because I would upset with Tiafoe vs Popyrin match about to start!" wrote one fan.

"This is exactly what happened last year in the middle of the US Open with Spectrum & Disney. Just wrong and hurting the sport," another chimed in.

"Did they really pull it during prime time coverage? That's crazy. @DIRECTV I pay through the nose already to have the plan that includes ESPN & ESPN2, and this is how you treat your customers? SMH," yet another furious fan weighed in.

Tiafoe and Popyrin went on to produce a thrilling match in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the former eventually coming out on top to reach the quarterfinals.

Frances Tiafoe registered four-set win over Alexei Popyrin to reach US Open quarterfinals for the third time in his career

Frances Tiafoe celebrating a point during his fourth-round clash against Alexei Popyrin at the 2024 US Open (Source: Getty)

Tiafoe established a commanding two-sets-to-love lead against Popyrin, winning the first couple of sets 6-4, 7-6(3). However, Popyrin got back into the contest after clinching the third set 6-2. Ultimately though, it was Tiafoe who prevailed, winning the fourth set 6-3 to make his way to the US Open quarterfinals for the third time.

The former World No. 10's first quarterfinal outing came at the 2022 US Open. On that occasion, the American defeated Andrey Rublev to reach the semis, where eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz got the better of him.

Tiafoe reached the quarterfinals at the 2023 US Open as well, but was ousted at that stage by compatriot Ben Shelton. This time around, the World No. 20 is set to lock horns against Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals. If Tiafoe wins, he will face either Taylor Fritz or former US Open finalist Alexander Zverev.