Kamala Harris & Donald Trump TV Debate: Why Millions May Not Be Able to Watch It

The first debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is set to take place next week, Tuesday, September 10, but over 11 million Americans could end up not seeing it due to the ongoing Disney and DirecTV dispute.

ABC is scheduled to air the debate between the presidential candidates next Tuesday; however, the channel is currently unavailable to 11.3 million DirecTV subscribers nationwide. This comes as Disney is locked into a major dispute with the satellite TV provider over the terms of their carriage deal.

On Sunday, September 1, ABC, ESPN, FX, and other Disney-owned channels went dark for DirecTV subscribers as the deal between the two companies expired without a new contract being worked out. This comes in the final week of the US Open tennis tournament and just a week before the start of the NFL season.

According to Deadline, there were no active discussions taking place between the two sides as of Tuesday, September 3. In addition, DirecTV CEO Ray Carpenter dismissed the idea the whole situation would be resolved before the NFL’s Monday Night Football kicks off on September 9.

“We’re not playing a short-term game,” Carpenter said on a September 3 Wall Street conference call, per Deadline. “We need something that is going to work for the long-term sustainability of our video customers. The resolve is there.”

As of writing, neither the Harris campaign nor the Trump campaign have responded to the potential impact the Disney and DirecTV dispute could have on the upcoming debate. However, given how close the polls are between the two candidates, losing a sizeable chunk of the audience could significantly affect the voting come November.

“That’s the law of unintended consequences,” a Hollywood political operative told Deadline regarding the impact of the blackout on the debate. “Dana Walden may be Harris’ pal, (Bob) Iger may want to mend some Republican fences, so what? This is an existential threat to their business as linear TV fall is dying.”

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The source continued, “I say it’s 50/50 if they can make a deal by the time of the debate, and I doubt it’s a big factor in getting to that deal.”

Despite DirecTV users losing access to ABC, the network previously said it would allow other networks to simulcast the debate. The face-off, which kicks off at 9 pm et, will also stream live on Hulu and Disney+, as well as ABC News Live.

“Given the range of outlets that are likely to carry the debate, I doubt that this blackout will greatly affect the reach of the audience,” Alan Schroeder, author of Presidential Debates: 50 Years Of High Risk TV, told Deadline. “Anyone who wants to watch the debate will have plenty of options beyond Disney’s portfolio of channels.”

Trump and Harris Debate, Tuesday, September 10, 9 pm et, ABC