Walt Disney Co. and DirecTV continued their war of words Tuesday over a contract dispute that has led to a frustrating blackout for millions of pay-TV customers. Their weapon of choice? Tonight’s highly anticipated broadcast debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Walt Disney Co. offered Tuesday to let DirecTV subscribers watch tonight’s debate despite a battle over “carriage fees” that resulted in the telecom company’s customers terminating their licensing agreement. Loss of access to ABC Newswho is hosting the event.
But DirecTV said it rejected the idea, explaining in a blog post that it “would cause confusion for customers who briefly watch the debate only to lose the channel shortly after.”
DirecTV added that it has asked Disney to restore not only ABC but all of its channels through Monday, Sept. 17, giving its customers access to the debate, as well as the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 15 and college and pro football games on ABC and ESPN.
DirecTV said Disney rejected its proposal. As a result, the presidential debate will not be available for DirecTV customers to watch on ABC.
On September 1, Disney programming was cut off for millions of customers of DirecTV, the country’s third-largest pay-TV provider. The outage has frustrated DirecTV users, including many sports fans who are unable to watch college football games and other major events broadcast on Disney’s many distribution channels.
“While we have not yet reached an agreement, we are providing a three-hour stream of ABC News coverage free of charge to all affected DirecTV customers because we want all Americans to be able to watch tonight’s debate at this important moment in our history,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday, noting that the company remains in discussions with DirecTV over a revised contract.
How DirecTV customers can watch the debate
Although ABC will not be available Tuesday night for DirecTV customers, the TV provider said its subscribers can still watch the presidential debate.
That’s because ABC is allowing other networks to simulcast the debate. DirecTV customers will be able to watch the debate on competing networks, including PBS and CBS Television, and on streaming platforms. (See how to watch the debate.)
The dispute between Disney and DirecTV centers on the fees DirecTV pays Disney to air its programming, with each side blaming the other for the impasse. On September 7, DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accusing Disney of negotiating in bad faith.
DirecTV has 11.3 million subscribers, according to Leichtman Research Group. The broadcaster pays Disney about $2 billion a year for its content, according to MoffettNathanson Research.
In addition to all ESPN network channels and ABC-owned stations, Disney-branded channels Freeform, FX, and National Geographic are currently not available on DirecTV.
DirecTV is offering subscribers a $30 bill credit due to the outage, as well as alternative ways to watch some programming.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report.
