EVEN BEFORE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TOOK TUESDAY’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE STAGE – ANOTHER BACK-AND-FORTH WAS BREWING ABOUT AIRING THE DEBATE. THIS ONE – BETWEEN TWO GIANTS OF THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY.

DIRECTV AND DISNEY ARE STILL AT AN IMPASSE IN THEIR CONTRACT DISPUTE – WITH DISNEY NETWORKS INCLUDING ABC AND ESPN REMAINING DARK FOR THE MORE THAN 11 MILLION DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS.

DISNEY’S DEAL WITH DIRECTV ENDED SEPTEMBER FIRST, BUT THE FALL LINEUP IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE PAUSE.

DIRECTV CUSTOMERS ALREADY MISSED OUT ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AND WERE IN JEOPARDY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO WATCH TUESDAY’S DEBATE ON ABC – THE NETWORK HOSTING THE EVENT.

HOURS BEFORE THE FIRST DEBATE BETWEEN HARRIS AND TRUMP – DISNEY OFFERED TO PROVIDE A THREE-HOUR FEED OF ITS ABC NEWS COVERAGE TO ALL IMPACTED DIRECTV CUSTOMERS AT NO COST DESPITE THE STALEMATE.

DISNEY SAID, “WE WANT ALL AMERICANS TO BE ABLE TO VIEW TONIGHT’S DEBATE AT THIS IMPORTANT MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY” ADDING “WE REMAIN AT THE TABLE NEGOTIATING WITH DIRECTV AND THE RESTORATION OF OUR PROGRAMMING TO THEIR SUBSCRIBERS IS COMPLETELY WITHIN THEIR CONTROL.”

BUT IN A MOVE MIMICKING THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE THAT WOULD AIR LATER THAT NIGHT

DIRECTV PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE’S PLANS. IT REJECTED DISNEY’S OFFER – MAKING IT CLEAR WHERE THE SATELLITE TV COMPANY STANDS ON THE ISSUE.

IN A STATEMENT OF ITS OWN, DIRECTV SAID, “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.”

DIRECTV ADMITTED IT WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED DISNEY’S OFFER HAD DISNEY BEEN WILLING TO ACCEPT ITS DEMANDS. DIRECTV CALLED FOR DISNEY TO RESTORE “ALL ITS CHANNELS ACROSS PLATFORMS” THROUGH THE END OF MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL THIS COMING MONDAY.

DIRECTV SAYS DISNEY QUOTE “FLAT-OUT REJECTED” ITS OFFER.

DIRECTV SAYS HAD DISNEY AGREED TO ITS PROPOSAL – VIEWERS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WATCH NOT ONLY MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, BUT THIS WEEKEND’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES AND SUNDAY’S EMMY AWARDS – ALL AIRING ON DISNEY’S NETWORKS

AND THOUGH ABC REMAINED DARK ON DIRECTV – SUBSCRIBERS WERE STILL ABLE TO CATCH THE DEBATE  – AS IT WAS SIMULCAST ON NON-DISNEY NETWORKS AND STREAMING CHANNELS.

MORE THAN A WEEK IN, THE TWO SIDES CAN’T SEE EYE TO EYE ON NEW TERMS. IT’S UNCLEAR WHEN DIRECTV SUBSCRIBERS WILL BE ABLE TO WATCH ABC, ESPN OR ANY OF THE OTHER DISNEY NETWORKS AGAIN. THE ONLY THING WE CAN SAY IS STAY TUNED SO YOU WON’T BE LEFT IN THE DARK.

FIND MORE OF OUR COVERAGE ON THE MEDIA INDUSTRY AT OUR WEBSITE SAN DOT COM AND ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.