Millions of DirecTV customers were blocked As of Sunday evening, broadcasters have lost access to Walt Disney Co.’s networks, and ESPN and other channels were shut down during the US Open tennis tournament and the start of the college football season.

According to DirecTV, customers can receive a $20 credit for the suspension, but they must take a few steps to do so.

The dispute, which concerns the so-called transmission fees DirecTV pays Disney to air its programming, prompted Disney to black out its channels Sunday night, 10 minutes before the start of the football game between No. 13 Louisiana State University and No. 23 University of Southern California.

DirecTV argues that Disney is taking “an anti-consumer approach” by requiring that a new contract include bundled services. Instead, the cable and satellite provider wants customers to be able to choose their channels a la carte.

Disney, meanwhile, claims that such a deal would diminish the value of its networks. “While we are open to offering DirecTV the flexibility and terms we have granted other distributors, we will not enter into an agreement that undervalues ​​our portfolio of television channels and programs,” Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, co-chairmen of Disney Entertainment, and Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a joint statement.

How to get a $20 credit from DirecTV

DirecTV states that its subscribers should visit https://www.directv.com/tvpromise/ for the credit.

“We are pursuing every avenue to get your channel back. As a thank you for your patience, we are offering you a bill credit until the situation is resolved,” DirecTV explains.

You will need to enter your TV service, such as DirecTV, DirecTV Stream or U-verse, and your zip code.

Next, the site will prompt you to “Explore Bill Credits.” Customers must click whether they are subscribing through “DirecTV via Satellite” or “DirecTV via Internet.” You will then be directed to another page where you can enter the email address on file for your account.

According to the website, the $20 credit will be granted in up to two billing cycles.

How long will the power outage last?

It’s unclear at this point, although such disputes have become quite common in recent years. Some providers like DirecTV want more control over the channels they can offer their customers, especially as more consumers cancel their cable TV plans and opt for streaming-only services like Netflix.

In the past, such bans could typically last from a few days to several weeks, such as the 10-day dispute between Fox Corp. and Dish Network from Sept. 26, 2019, to Oct. 6, 2019, according to S&P Global. But occasionally they can drag on for years, such as a dispute between The Weather Channel and Verizon that resulted in a 1,567-day ban for Verizon customers, according to S&P Global.

DirecTV, for its part, states on its credit website that the dispute will likely be resolved before “your favorite team” has a Monday night game.

“If you’re worried about missing one of your favorite teams over the next few weeks, we have good news for you,” DirecTV said. “FOX, CBS, NBC and Amazon Prime Video will broadcast the majority of NFL action, while ESPN/ABC will show one game per week.”

It continued: “It is likely that your favorite team will not play on Monday night until later in the season, after we have had sufficient time to reach a new agreement.”