DIRECTV to begin carrying the Longhorn Network

In a landmark agreement for the Longhorn Network, Disney/ESPN has reached an agreement with DIRECTV to begin carrying the school-specific channel.

The important satellite television provider will begin carrying the Longhorn Network some time in January.

"This new agreement brings DirecTV's already unmatched content offering and experience to a whole new level," Dan York, DirecTV's chief content officer said in a statement. "It also allows both companies to evolve together into the future and gives DirecTV customers a wide range of in-home and out-of-home viewing options to enjoy the broad collection of ESPN, Disney and ABC content."

The agreement was part of the larger deal between Disney/ESPN and DIRECTV that will also include a variety of other additions for the provider, including ESPN3 and the SEC Network.

Since DIRECTV boasts 20 million subscribers in the United States, the new deal will greatly increase the reach of the network, which is already carried on AT&T U-verse, DISH, Time Warner Cable, Grande Communications, Charter, and Verizon FiOS.

Comcast will now become the only major provider that does not carry the Longhorn Network.