NEW YORK—New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin have sent a letter to Altice USA urging the cable operator to quickly resolve contract negotiations with MSG Networks.
The attorneys general also demanded automatic refunds for customers who have been denied access to the MSG regional sports channels they paid for as part of their Optimum cable plans. The letter noted that some refunds or credits had been made but were not universally given out to subscribers.
The MSG and MSGSN networks have been blacked out on Altice-ownd Optimum cable systems since Jan. 1, when the two sides were unable to reach a new carriage deal. Key sticking points are pricing and whether the networks need to be part of large programming packages. The two New York City-area channels broadcast games from the NBA’s Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers, Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
“New York sports fans are being put in the penalty box, forced to shell out their hard-earned money for television channels they cannot even watch,” James said. “Optimum customers have paid for channels to watch their home sports teams, but their cable company is not offering these channels while charging them anyway. I am determined to secure a solution for New Yorkers who have had to endure these unfair blackouts and I urge Optimum and MSG to finally reach a deal so New Yorkers can watch their home teams.”
Added Tong: “Optimum and MSG need to stop the posturing and get back to the table. Figure it out and let us watch our sports in peace. In the meantime, consumers are paying for sports they can’t watch and they are owed immediate refunds without hassle.”
The full letter is available here. The letter did not lay out specific details on what legal action the attorneys general could take or might be authorized to take under state or federal laws if the dispute is not resolved.
MSG Networks issued a statement saying: “We applaud the Attorneys General in demanding Altice do right by its subscribers and either issue a full refund or immediately reach an agreement to return MSG Networks to Optimum subscribers.”
