New York Legal professional Common Letitia James pressed MSG Networks and Altice — the mother or father firm of Optimum — to settle the continuing dispute that has left Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and Devils followers with out the power to look at native video games since midnight on Jan. 1.
“As two main firms have interaction in contract talks, the people who find themselves impacted essentially the most are on a regular basis New Yorkers who merely wish to watch sports activities and luxuriate in tv programming,” James mentioned in a press release Monday. “I will likely be monitoring this example carefully to make sure New York clients obtain the companies they’re paying for. I urge each firms to work collectively to succeed in a good, last settlement so New Yorkers can get again to rooting for the house groups.”
James commented days after MSG Networks and Optimum exchanged scathing statements Friday concerning the saga, with MSG Networks accusing Optimum of pulling its newest proposal and strolling away from negotiations.
Of their earlier deal, Optimum paid MSG Networks $10 per subscriber, The Publish’s Josh Kosman beforehand reported.
Optimum government vp of communications Lisa Anselmo then adopted along with her personal assertion hours later Friday that ripped MSG Networks for “pushing out deceptive narratives to the media” and rejecting all of their proposals.
Anselmo mentioned Optimum invited MSG Networks to their places of work final week and have been, on the time, nonetheless ready for a response to their request for a follow-up assembly.
MSG Networks launched a press release of its personal following James’ remark, saying that Altice must be refunding its clients.
“We thank New York Legal professional Common Letitia James for stepping in on behalf of Optimum subscribers who aren’t getting what they’re paying for,” MSG Networks mentioned in a press release Monday. “We hope the Attorneys Common in New Jersey and Connecticut do the identical, in addition to different officers and advocates throughout the tri-state space. MSG Networks calls on Optimum clients to succeed in out to their Attorneys Common, shopper advocates, and different Federal and State officers to demand Altice USA both restore MSG Networks and its protection of the Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and Devils or mechanically scale back subscribers’ month-to-month payments by the quantity Altice USA saves by now not carrying this programming.
“Altice USA is making the most of its subscribers, trying to pad their struggling firm’s backside line by pocketing the greater than $10/month they need to mechanically be reimbursing to its greater than 1 million subscribers whereas MSG Networks stays darkish. That’s MORE THAN $120 million in annual charges Altice USA’s Optimum subscribers proceed to pay for content material they aren’t getting. … You shouldn’t be a pawn in Altice USA’s sport.”