As Disney‘s networks remain dark, DirecTV has accused the company of negotiating in bad faith amid carriage renewal talks.
After DirecTV filed a complaint Saturday with the Federal Communications Commission, a Disney spokesperson tells Deadline that this is a common tactic DirecTV has used in previous negotiations.
“We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible,” they said. “We urge DirecTV to stop creating diversions and instead prioritize their customers by finalizing a deal that would allow their subscribers to watch our strong upcoming lineup of sports, news and entertainment programming, starting with the return of Monday Night Football.”
In the FCC filing, DirecTV states that they “have found themselves in an impasse for a week now” with Disney, adding: “DirecTV subscribers nationwide have lost ESPN and other Disney sports and entertainment programming, and subscribers in eight of the nation’s largest markets have lost Disney-owned television stations as well. In addition, subscribers to DirecTV’s streaming services have lost ABC stations not owned by Disney itself. Thus, millions of Americans have already missed early college football games, may well miss the first Monday Night Football game, and, if the impasse lasts, will miss the presidential debate, produced and hosted by ABC.”
The filing comes one week after Disney’s networks went dark on DirecTV, impacting Disney, ESPN and ABC, with both sides pointing customers to pay TV alternatives. More than 11 million subscribers have been impacted.
Earlier this week, DirecTV CEO Ray Carpenter predicted the carriage dispute would not be resolved before NFL‘s Monday Night Football kicks off Sept. 9 on ABC, ESPN and other Disney-owned channels.
“We’re not playing a short-term game,” the exec said on a September 3 Wall Street conference call of DirecTV’s desire to end the “bloated” packages that are presumed to be driving consumers to cord cut. “We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there.”
The ongoing dispute also comes ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump‘s first debate, which is scheduled for Sept. 10 on ABC.
