The highest prosecutors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut need Altice-owned Optimum cable to both raise the blackout of Madison Sq. Backyard Networks or refund clients who’ve been unable to entry Knicks, Rangers, Devils and Islanders video games because the deadlock began on New 12 months’s Day.
New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James, Connecticut Lawyer Basic William Tong and New Jersey Lawyer Basic Matthew Platkin co-signed a letter to the cable firm on Thursday urging one of many nation’s largest cable suppliers to make amends with followers.
“New York sports activities followers are being put within the penalty field, compelled to shell out their hard-earned cash for tv channels they can’t even watch,” stated James.
“Optimum clients have paid for channels to observe their house sports activities groups, however their cable firm will not be providing these channels whereas charging them anyway.”
James stated she was “decided to safe an answer for New Yorkers who’ve needed to endure these unfair blackouts and I urge Optimum and MSG to lastly attain a deal so New Yorkers can watch their house groups.”
The dispute stems from a contract standoff between Optimum’s mother or father firm, Altice USA, and MSG Networks, which resulted within the elimination of key sports activities and leisure channels from Optimum cable plans.
Since Jan. 1, Optimum clients have been unable to entry MSG channels, which broadcast video games for groups together with the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres.
James had beforehand urged Altice and MSG to resolve their negotiations swiftly to stop service disruptions for New York shoppers.
Now, the attorneys normal are demanding that Altice situation computerized refunds to clients who paid for channels they’ll now not entry.
The attorneys normal are calling on Altice to situation refunds mechanically, fairly than requiring clients to navigate a claims course of — making certain impacted subscribers obtain honest compensation for his or her misplaced companies.
As negotiations between Altice and MSG proceed, affected clients stay caught within the center—paying for programming they’ll’t watch, based on the attorneys normal.
MSG issued a press release praising the attorneys normal.
“We applaud the Attorneys Basic in demanding Altice do proper by its subscribers and both situation a full refund or instantly attain an settlement to return MSG Networks to Optimum subscribers,” an organization rep instructed The Submit.
A spokesperson for Optimum supplied a press release to The Submit in response to the letter.
“Optimum calls on our native Attorneys Basic to work with us to repair the damaged video programming mannequin and guarantee shoppers have extra selection,” a spokesperson for Optimum stated in a press release.
The cable supplier stated that it has been “centered on limiting buyer disruption by proactively participating with clients to offer customized help and various options for sports activities followers and non-sports followers alike.”
“From press releases and social media campaigns to buyer emails and academic movies, we now have been vocal in regards to the choices we now have obtainable -— from serving to to offset the price of Gotham Sports activities or Fubo to transitioning clients to new video choices that save them a median of $25 monthly,” the spokesperson stated.
Optimum stated it was urging clients “to name or chat with us in order that we are able to hearken to their distinctive wants and help them.”
“As we now have repeatedly stated, the legacy video mannequin is damaged as a result of distributors like Optimum proceed to be handcuffed by programmers like MSG Networks who demand we make their content material obtainable to nearly all of clients, no matter precise viewer curiosity,” the corporate stated.
Optimum stated that “this antiquated mannequin…forces excessive charges and minimal penetration charges” which “drive up the prices of legacy video packages and offers distributors like us little flexibility to regulate costs –- particularly in an evolving TV panorama the place shoppers now have extra selection than ever earlier than.”
Altice has accused MSG and its chairman, James Dolan, of refusing to pursue an settlement in good religion because of MSG Networks’ ballooning debt burden.
Final week, The Submit reported that the New York-based regional sports activities community was in talks to succeed in a deal to keep away from chapter and that the media firm was courting potential buyers together with Amazon.
MSG Networks defaulted on its loans this previous fall however lenders have prolonged the fee deadline a number of instances, most just lately from Jan. 10 to final Friday at midnight.
This time, the intention is to succeed in a deal fairly than merely prolong the deadline once more, sources briefed on the discussions.
Extra Reporting by Josh Kosman