Contract negotiations between Optimum and MSG Networks have reached a critical point, threatening to blackout Knicks and Rangers games for Optimum subscribers. The two sides are locked in a dispute over carriage fees, with Optimum seeking to lower the rate it pays for the channel.
Knicks and Rangers games on Optimum were set to go dark Wednesday as contract talks between the cable operator and MSG remained at an impasse ahead of a deadline before the ball drops. As of press time Tuesday, neither side seemed willing to budge much over the carriage fees paid by Optimum parent Altice to broadcast MSG Networks, which is run by Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan.
In the current deal that expires at midnight, Optimum pays MSGN $10 per subscriber, a source close to the situation told The Post.Neither side seemed willing to budge much over the carriage fees paid by Optimum parent Altice to broadcast MSG Networks, which is run by Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan.The cable operator, which has about one-third of the roughly 3 million subscribers in the New York City area, is looking to reduce that fee in the new contract. On Tuesday, MSGN sweetened an offer it floated weeks ago that would involve allowing Optimum to move it from the basic tier, meaning subscribers would have to pay an additional fee for the channel, the source said.“MSG Networks is demanding exorbitant programming fees – which could raise our customers’ cable bills,” the company said in a statement on Monday. If no deal is reached before midnight, it will force Knicks fans to scramble to find another provider in order to watch the New Year’s Day matchup against Utah. “Unsurprisingly, Altice continues to confuse its customers so it can get away with charging them more for less,” an MSG spokesperson said in a statement released late Tuesday,Optimum, which has about one-third of the roughly 3 million subscribers in the New York City area, is looking to reduce that fee in the new contract
Knicks Rangers Optimum MSG Networks Contract Dispute
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