A disagreement over distribution fees between Disney and DirecTV has resulted in a programming blackout for over 11 million subscribers. The dispute stems from DirecTV’s desire to offer smaller, more affordable packages, including tiers without ESPN, which Disney has resisted. This blackout affects access to ESPN, ABC, and other Disney-owned networks, impacting millions of viewers just before the NFL season kickoff and the scheduled presidential debate on ABC News.
Donald Trump has threatened to skip the upcoming vice presidential debate hosted by ABC, citing perceived bias from the network. The debate, scheduled for September 10th, is a crucial event in the election campaign. Meanwhile, a heated debate is brewing over the use of open microphones during the event. While Kamala Harris’s team is pushing for unmuted microphones, Trump’s campaign has expressed a preference for keeping his microphone on.
If you’re a basketball fan, you won’t want to miss the NBA finals this June. And with Sling TV, you can watch the finals for just $12 for the month, saving you $20 from the usual price of $40. Sling Orange is the way to go, as it includes ESPN 2 and 3, which will be broadcasting the finals. If you’re in a select market, you can also get the ABC stream via Sling Blue. So don’t wait, sign up for Sling now and catch all the action of the NBA finals.
The 2024 Women’s College World Series is set to begin on Thursday, May 29, with eight teams vying for the national championship. All games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, or ABC, and there are several ways to watch a live stream of the games without cable. Sling TV, FuboTV, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Stream all offer free trials that can be used to watch the World Series. ESPN+ is also a great option, as it will stream every game of the tournament for just $11 per month or $110 per year. If you’re outside the United States, you can use a VPN to access a live stream of the games.
After months of uncertainty, President Joe Biden and Republican nominee Donald Trump have agreed to participate in two general election debates. The first debate will be held on June 27, 2024, at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, while the second debate will be hosted by ABC on September 10, 2024. The debates will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, and ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis, respectively. The first debate will take place before either candidate becomes their party’s official nominee, and will cover a wide range of topics including Trump’s criminal hush money trial, Biden’s foreign trips, and the Supreme Court’s term. The second debate will occur before most states begin early voting. Both campaigns have outlined their preferences for the debates, with Biden’s team favoring muted microphones and no live audience, while Trump’s team is pushing for more debates and prefers a stand-up format with a live audience. The deal between the campaigns sidelines the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan group that has organized the debates for over three decades. It remains unclear whether third party candidates will qualify for the debates. However, CNN and ABC have set a threshold of 15% in four national polls for candidates to qualify.
In an exclusive clip from Season 6 Episode 9 of The Conners, titled “Manifesting, Marriage Testing and Cheeseballs,” John Goodman’s Dan Conner enthusiastically celebrates National Cheeseball Day with his family. The hilarious clip highlights the family’s quirky traditions and the challenges they face in balancing their personal and professional lives.
Due to production delays caused by the SAG and WGA strikes, new episodes of ‘The Good Doctor’ and ‘The Rookie’ have been postponed. ABC has been airing reruns of both shows since early April, leaving fans frustrated. The strikes resulted in filming delays for the new seasons until November 2023, leading to a shorter episode count. ‘The Good Doctor,’ which stars Freddie Highmore as autistic surgeon Shaun Murphy, will end with its current seventh season. ‘The Rookie,’ featuring Nathan Fillion as LAPD’s oldest rookie, also had its last new episode air on April 9. Both shows will return with new episodes on Tuesday, April 30. Fans have expressed their disappointment on social media, voicing their frustration over the multiple reruns and the long wait for new content.
The NBA playoffs are officially underway, and the New York Knicks are hoping to keep the regular season momentum going. In game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks won with a score of 111-104. It’ll take just three more wins in the best-of-seven series to punch a ticket to the conference semifinals. Unlike the regular season, where you can tune into most Knicks games on MSG, all of the NBA Playoffs games air on national networks.
The ABC’s lead India correspondent, Avani Dias, was forced to return to Australia after the Modi government withheld her visa and subjected her to intimidation. The decision came after the airing of a ‘Foreign Correspondent’ episode on Sikh separatism and before the release of her podcast investigating Modi’s life. The Modi administration’s actions have raised concerns about the suppression of dissent and media freedom in India.
