Disney networks - including ABC - have been off DirecTV for more than a week.
At issue is the rates and terms the company is willing to pay for the rights to re-transmit those networks.
Disney offered to grant DirecTV customers access to three hours of ABC's coverage of this all-important debate, but DirecTV rejected that offer.
DirecTV said in a statement, "Unfortunately, returning only Disney's ABC stations from the entire portfolio of channels for a limited three-hour window will cause customer confusion among those who would briefly see the debate only to lose the channel again shortly after."
Disney released a statement that read, "To DirecTV customers: We did everything possible to make the ABC News presidential debate widely available to the American public - including giving DirecTV the ability to serve you with access to our debate coverage. They rejected that offer. If you are impacted by DirecTV's refusal to restore temporary access to ABC, the debate is available on ABC News Live, Hulu, Disney+ and free over the air."
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and this station.