Posted in: ABC, Opinion, TV | Tagged: ABC, disney, kamala harris

How Disney/DirectTV Blackout Could Impact ABC's VP Harris/Trump Debate

Here's a look at how the Disney/DirectTV blackout could end up impacting ABC's upcoming debate between VP Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Published Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:07:10 -0500

by Ray Flook

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It's funny in a not-funny-at-all kinda way. In the past, if news came down that an impasse on a television deal between two sides would keep a major broadcast network from airing a U.S. Presidential Debate to millions of potential voters, there would be serious outrage. But this is 2024 – and things have changed. Right now, the Walt Disney Company and DirecTV are still in the middle of trying to work out a new carriage deal – which means that for the time being, channels like ABC, ESPN, and others have gone dark for more than 11 million DirecTV subscribers nationwide. With only six days to go until Vice-President Kamala Harris and ex-reality show host, multi-impeached ex-POTUS, and convicted felon Donald Trump are set for a debate on ABC, you can see where the problem is – but for who? In what could be viewed as a sobering sign of the times when it comes to linear television, ABC could end up benefitting the least from securing the debate broadcast (set to be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis).

Image: May 31, 2024, Brazil. In this photo illustration, the Walt Disney Company logo is displayed on a smartphone screen (Shutterstock.com/rafapress); Englewood, Colorado, USA – May 18, 2023: DirecTV office in Englewood, Colorado, USA. DirecTV is an American satellite television provider. (Shutterstock.com/JHVEPhoto); PBS

Why? How? Back during the early days of debate negotiations – when President Joseph Biden was still the Democratic nominee – ABC put the word out that it was giving the green light for other networks to simulcast the debate. In addition, the VP Harris-Trump face-off is set to stream live on Hulu, Disney+, and ABC News Live – leading back to what we were alluding to earlier, in that ABC could see its logo on a whole lot of screens… just not ABC screens. That said, let's not discount the fact that many, many people still rely on the broadcast networks as their primary news source, so the electorate will be impacted. One would hope that both sides could agree to a contractual "cease fire" for the benefit of viewers/voters (and score some PR points).

Of course, about a week is still a lot of time to get things done so there is still some breathing space to work with – but with that said… "We're not playing a short-term game. We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there," shared DirecTV CEO Ray Carpenter on Tuesday. That was in response to those who believe that the two sides will broker a deal before September 9th. Why then? That's when Monday Night Football gets its season underway, with the New York Jets taking on the San Francisco 49ers on ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels. When Carpenter added, "The resolve is here," that was a reference to DirectTV's push to be able to work with smaller and specialized bundles instead of what it claims Disney is trying to continue with.

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