A full statment from Optimum is below:
MSG Networks is demanding exorbitant programming fees – which could raise our customers’ cable bills – and, to add insult to injury, MSG Networks is requiring us to make their channels available to the vast majority of Optimum video subscribers, which would force customers to pay for content they may not want to watch. We refuse to allow any entity to force our customers to pay more than they can afford. And with direct-to-consumer options like MSG+ available on the Gotham Sports app, customers who want to watch it have alternatives so that non-viewers don’t have to pay for content they don’t want.
Our mission is to give our customers the programming that they want for a price they can afford. That’s why Optimum is working day and night to reach a new agreement with MSG Networks to continue carrying their content on Optimum TV lineups that works for our customers and their budgets.
This “all or nothing” approach that MSG Networks has taken is anti-consumer, unsustainable, and aligns to a broken and outdated model that they are refusing to deviate from. Regional Sports Networks, such as MSG Networks, represent the most expensive content on television, and as viewership becomes increasingly fragmented across various services and platforms, programmers like MSG Networks are trying to squeeze customers for more money to watch their content.
At Optimum, we’re fans first: we love our local sports teams, and we’ll continue to fight on our customers’ behalf to keep costs down and bring them the programming that they want to watch, all at a fair price and value. We will always prioritize providing affordable, flexible options first and, in a world full of subscriptions, customers deserve to access the games they love without overpaying.
We urge MSG Networks to stop using scare tactics and instead engage in responsible, customer-friendly negotiations so that we can avoid any disruption in service.
