NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Optimum today provides an update on its carriage of MSG Networks.
Background:
Optimum and MSG Networks’ carriage agreement expired at midnight on December 31, 2024.
For weeks, the companies negotiated for continued carriage on Optimum systems. During the negotiations, MSG Networks demanded exorbitant programming fees and required Optimum to make MSG channels available to the vast majority of video subscribers, whether they wanted the content or not. This “all or nothing” approach could raise cable bills while forcing the majority of our customers to pay for content they do not watch.
Optimum cares about its customers and worked on their behalf to reach a deal that is fair and brings our customers choice and value. Unfortunately, MSG Networks would not budge, and their content has been removed from Optimum TV lineups.
Optimum issues the following statement:
“At Optimum, we have a clear mission: provide the programming that our customers want and give it to them at an affordable price. The problem: MSG Networks demanded that we pay an exorbitant amount in fees to be able to carry its content AND that customers who don’t want the content – who are the majority – have to pay for it anyway. Now more than ever, especially in this economy, it is unfair for MSG Networks to demand more money from their Optimum viewers, especially when there are ways for fans to get games directly from MSG through other direct-to-consumer options.
Despite this, Optimum offered to absorb their egregious price demands if we could package MSG Networks in a way that would give more flexibility and control to our customers, so that fans could continue to watch and pay for their content while non-viewers would not be forced to pay for what they don’t watch. MSG Networks said no and refused multiple offers from us to reach a deal.
It is no secret that viewership for Regional Sports Networks has become increasingly fragmented across countless streaming platforms and services. Yet MSG Networks continues to squeeze its viewers for more money to watch their content, refusing to evolve or deviate from a broken model that is outdated based on the evolution of the entertainment industry, is anti-consumer, and unsustainable in today’s programming landscape.
Optimum wants to partner with programmers who put customer choice and flexibility at the center of every decision. We are disappointed in MSG Networks, but most importantly, sorry that our customers have to experience this change, which is why Optimum is working directly with customers to provide alternate viewing options to ensure that they never have to miss a game.
Customers can call us at 888-347-4784, chat with us or visit www.optimum.com/MSG to learn more about the solutions and options we have for them so they can continue watching their favorite teams.
Customers can also learn more about our modernized video solutions by clicking here.”
About Optimum
Optimum is a brand of Altice USA, one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States, delivering broadband, video, mobile, proprietary content and advertising services to approximately 4.6 million residential and business customers across 21 states. The company operates Optimum Media, an advanced advertising and data business, which provides audience-based, multiscreen advertising solutions to local, regional and national businesses and advertising clients. Altice USA also offers hyper-local and international news through its News 12 and i24NEWS networks.
Contacts
Media:
Stephen Stokes
(917) 553-0667
stephen.stokes@optimum.com
