Walt Disney Co.'s proposal for a partial, temporary detente as the blackout of its DirecTV and U-Verse channels stretches into its 10th day has turned 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, hosted by ABC News.
“As we announced in May, the ABC News presidential debate will be widely available on broadcast television, cable and streaming,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. “While we have not yet reached an agreement [with DirecTV]“We are providing a three-hour broadcast of ABC News coverage to all affected DirecTV customers at no cost because we want all Americans to be able to watch tonight’s debate at this important time in our history.”
DirecTV responded that it would grant the request to bring ABC back to the table if Disney agreed to a broader compromise: The El Segundo-based satellite television provider asked Disney to allow it to run the full suite of Disney channels, including ABC and ESPN, for an additional week while the two sides worked to hammer out a new distribution deal.
“The return of Disney-owned channels over the next week as we work to reach a new agreement would benefit customers, who would regain access to ABC for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards debate and 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,” DirecTV added.
Disney rejected DirecTV's proposal, according to DirecTV.
Disney responded that it was DirecTV that rejected the offer to broadcast the presidential debate.
Over the past week, Burbank-based Disney has faced a dilemma. ABC News landed a coveted role as host of the debate between Harris and Trump. It could be the only presidential debate between the two candidates this year. However, because of the contract dispute, viewers in nearly 11 million households with DirecTV subscribers do not have access to Disney channels, including local ABC and ESPN stations.
Viewers have other options for watching the debate. The company is making simulcasts available for 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 national audience. Disney executives wanted to make sure the dispute over the company’s fees didn’t become an impediment to viewers being able to see the story being written.
ABC would also benefit from the ratings the debate is expected to generate.
The outage has tested viewers' patience and loyalty to DirecTV and U-Verse.
On Monday, millions of DirecTV customers missed the start of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” a highly anticipated game in which the San Francisco 49ers defeated the New York Jets.
DirecTV and U-Verse customers have grown increasingly frustrated as the dispute drags on, but Tuesday's developments underscore the scope of the dispute, which now extends beyond the sports world. Television stations Disney Channel, FX and ABC have also been blacked out since Sept. 1.
The two sides have traded barbs in promotional campaigns, but over the weekend, DirecTV upped the ante by filing a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, alleging that Disney had not been negotiating in good faith and that its tactics were anticompetitive.
The eight Disney-owned ABC stations, including KABC-TV in Los Angeles, do not broadcast on DirecTV or U-Verse, meaning viewers cannot watch 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 will be held.
