Bartenders relieved Bills game will be shown locally, despite Charter-Disney squabble

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Spectrum customers have been without ESPN and other Disney-owned channels for over a week.

This has extra significance heading into Monday night’s big football game featuring the Buffalo Bills at the New York Jets.

The biggest question on Bills’ fans’ minds this week is whether they can watch the game. The answer is yes.

Monday Night Football will also be shown on ABC.

“We are going to have a full setup. We have three bartenders on, I believe, and we have 26 TVs so I’m sure we will be putting it on every TV,” Kira McBride said.

She works at The Exchange in Rochester and is relieved the game will be available.

“It affects us and how much, like, we as bartenders at the bar are making because people won’t come in if we won’t show it. They’ll go somewhere where they do have it,” McBride said.

Charter and Disney are fighting over how much the former pays the latter in exchange for the right to broadcast its channels.

It’s left many football fans frustrated since they haven’t been able to watch games on ESPN if they have Spectrum. But that doesn’t stop diehards, according to Shane Gilmore, who also works in the service industry.

“It’s one of those things that, you know, if it’s on, people will find a way. If the cable companies want to make it easy for us, great. If not, we’ll figure out a way,” Gilmore said.

Analysts closely monitoring the squabble between the two companies say it may take time for them to reach an agreement.

Gilmore is just happy Monday’s Bills game isn’t blacked out.

“You know what, it brings folks together. It makes them come out. It makes them spend their money so I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “And the emotional roller coaster they always give us.”

If you are a Spectrum customer, you can get ESPN if you use a streaming service. There are a number of options out there: some even with free trials.