Temporary viewer access to videos from programmers while multichannel video programming distributors are unavailable for authentication and authorization

Methods and systems for granting temporary access to videos from a programmer to viewers based on the viewers having subscriptions with a separate MVPD. An exemplary technique involves receiving a request for the programmer to provide a video to a viewer and accessing the MVPD to authenticate that the viewer has a subscription with the MVPD and confirm that the viewer is authorized to receive the video. The technique determines that the MVPD is not able to timely authenticate the viewer subscription or confirm that the viewer is authorized to receive the video. While waiting for the MVPD to respond, the viewer is granted temporary access to the video. When a subsequent response from the MVPD is received, the technique continues to grant access to the viewer to the video from the programmer or cuts off access of the viewer to the video from the programmer based on the response.