The Walt Disney Co.’s proposal for a partial, temporary detente as the blackout of its channels on DirecTV and U-Verse stretches into its 10th day has devolved into another round of bickering.
Early Tuesday, Disney offered to restore the ABC network to DirecTV, U-Verse and DirecTV Stream customers for tonight’s highly anticipated debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump, which ABC News is hosting.
“As we announced in May, the ABC News presidential debate will be widely available across broadcast, cable and streaming,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. “Although we have yet to reach an agreement [with DirecTV], we are providing a three-hour feed of ABC News coverage to all impacted DirecTV customers at no cost because we want all Americans to be able to view tonight’s debate at this important moment in our history.”
DirecTV responded that it would go along with the request to restore ABC for the debate if Disney accepted a more comprehensive compromise: The El Segundo-based satellite TV provider asked Disney to allow it to run the full suite of Disney channels, including ABC and ESPN, for an additional week as the two sides worked to hammer out a new distribution agreement.
“Returning the Disney-owned channels for the next week while we work to reach a new agreement would benefit customers who would regain access to ABC for the debate and the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on Sunday,” DirecTV said in a blog post. Such a move would also allow fans to watch “their favorite college and professional football games on ABC and ESPN, ACC or SEC networks,” DirecTV added.
Disney declined DirecTV’s proposal, according to DirecTV.
Disney countered that it was DirecTV that declined the offer to broadcast the presidential debate.
For the last week, Burbank-based Disney has faced a dilemma. ABC News landed a coveted role hosting the Harris-Trump debate. It might be the sole presidential debate between the two candidates this year. However, due to the contract dispute, viewers in nearly 11 million DirecTV subscriber homes don’t have access to Disney channels, including local ABC stations and ESPN.
Viewers have other options to watch the debate. The company is making the simulcast available to PBS, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News and streaming platforms. Still, the debate is an important opportunity for ABC News and anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis to shine before a nationwide audience. Disney executives wanted to make sure the company’s fee dispute did not turn into an impediment to viewers glimpsing history being made.
ABC also would benefit from the ratings the debate is expected to generate.
The outage has tested the patience of viewers and their loyalty to DirecTV and U-Verse.
On Monday, millions of DirecTV customers missed ESPN’s kickoff of “Monday Night Football” — a highly anticipated game that saw the San Francisco 49ers ground the New York Jets.
DirecTV and U-Verse customers have become increasingly frustrated as the dispute drags on, but Tuesday’s development underscores the optics of the spat that now extends beyond the sports world. Disney Channel, FX and ABC television stations have also been dark since Sept. 1.
The two sides have exchanged barbs in promotional campaigns, but over the weekend, DirecTV raised the stakes by filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, alleging that Disney had not been negotiating in good faith and that its tactics were anti-competitive.
Disney’s eight owned ABC stations, including KABC-TV in Los Angeles, are blacked out on DirecTV and U-Verse, meaning viewers are missing local newscasts, “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “Jeopardy!,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and now the debate. Other Disney-owned stations are in San Francisco, Fresno, Houston, Chicago, Raleigh, N.C., New York — and Philadelphia, where tonight’s debate is being hosted.