In the midst of a contract dispute, Disney and DirecTV continue to clash over airing ABC News for the upcoming debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. This disagreement has left DirecTV subscribers without access to Disney programming channels since September 1st, as the outage enters its 10th day.

The communication between the two companies has reached a boiling point, with Disney recently announcing that it would allow DirecTV subscribers three hours of access to ABC News for the presidential debate. However, DirecTV swiftly rejected this offer stating that returning only ABC stations for a limited window would cause customer confusion.

Although tonight's debate will be hosted by ABC, it will be simulcast on several other channels including PBS News, Fox News, and C-SPAN. The contract dispute between Disney and DirecTV bears a striking resemblance to a similar outage experienced last year with Spectrum TV.

This year's conflict appears to run deeper as DirecTV filed a complaint with the FTC, accusing Disney of insisting on bundling and penetration requirements that were deemed anticompetitive and "bad for consumers" by a federal district court judge. While offering subscribers a billing credit for the loss of Disney programming, DirecTV has recently increased the amount from $20 to $30.

With no resolution in sight, there is uncertainty as to when the contract dispute will be resolved, leaving viewers in the dark about the return of Disney channels to DirecTV's lineup. Fortunately, there are alternative streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, Fubo, and SlingTV that offer major Disney channels for those seeking to replace their programming.

DirecTV subscribers will need to explore these options as the loss of Disney programming affects millions of customers, including those with local ABC affiliate stations not owned by Disney. Although satellite service will continue to provide access to local ABC channels, streaming capabilities will be unavailable through the DirecTV app.

Amidst the frustrations faced by DirecTV subscribers, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of a billing credit. Those affected by the loss of Disney programming are eligible for compensation as a gesture of acknowledging the disruption caused.

To determine eligibility for the credit, DirecTV subscribers can visit the company's TV Promise page, select their TV service, enter their ZIP code, and check for eligibility. If qualified, the Explore bill credits section of the TV Promise page allows users to claim their compensation.

Initially set at $20, DirecTV has since increased the billing credit to $30, which will be applied to future bills. As both Disney and DirecTV remain embroiled in a contract dispute, viewers are left waiting for a resolution while finding alternatives to fulfill their entertainment needs.