While ABC is the host network for the first 2024 U.S. Presidential candidates’ debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, nearly every network in the U.S. has agreed to simulcast its coverage. Still, the debate, along with key sporting events, seemed to be big enough — in DirecTV‘s mind — to seek a temporary truce in its bitter retransmission consent dispute with The Walt Disney Company.
No dice, says the Mouse House, in a sign that DirecTV’s lack of content could be a concern — despite its continued use of language that appears to illustrate Disney as the big bully controlling the entire two-way negotiation process.
In a “DirecTV Insider” communique distributed Tuesday afternoon, DirecTV says Disney has denied a request for an extension of its now-expired retransmission consent agreement signed in 2019 that would have returned all of its channels to DirecTV customers through Monday (9/16).
Like any negotiation, there are reasons that each party has. DirecTV has been the more vocal of the two parties, and has waged a PR war against Disney, offering Chief Content Officer Robert Thun to various media outlets while Chief Financial Officer Ray Carpenter hosted an “analyst call” that served as an opportunity for DirecTV to share its thoughts on retransmission consent and its desire to reshape the entire concept of how MVPDs must compensate cable and broadcast station owners.
With the FCC now considering a “good faith” complaint from DirecTV against Disney, it has injected this evening’s presidential debate between Harris and Trump into its retrans war.
Or, has it? Some may argue that it is Disney that has taken that tactic.
According to DirecTV, Disney earlier today requested a unique exception to return ABC stations to the DBS provider only for this evening as it is hosting the debate.
This was rejected by DirecTV. “Unfortunately, returning only Disney’s ABC stations from the entire portfolio of channels for a limited three-hour window will cause customer confusion among those who would briefly see the debate only to lose the channel again shortly after,” it explained.
If Disney wanted this to transpire, it would have had to agree to DirecTV’s request to return all channels through September 16, pay new rates, and then go to the bargaining table.
That was met with a resounding “no” from the Disney camp.
A source close to the matter told RBR+TVBR that, in DirecTV’s view, Disney “continues to look out for its self-interests” by opting not to agree to the temporary restoration of its channels on DirecTV. However, another source argues that if DirecTV and Disney were truly willing to resolve their differences, an extension under the 2019 agreement terms would have prevented the 10-day-long blackout altogether — without the need to use the September 10 political debate as a negotiating carrot.
Should no agreement be immediate, DirecTV customers stand to lose access to the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on Sunday, as well as a slate of college and professional football games on ABC and ESPN, ACC or SEC networks scheduled for this weekend.
