The battle between RSNs and cable suppliers continues to wage, with Comcast and YES Community now taking middle stage after the community’s CEO went on Sunday’s Yankees broadcast to lambast the cable firm.
YES Community will go darkish in all households which have Comcast at 11:59 p.m. on Monday evening whereas the 2 sides proceed to duke it out over carriage charges – Comcast needs to maneuver the regional sports activities community to a higher-priced digital bundle, whereas the community needs to stay on the fundamental cable tier.
The perimeters had come to an settlement final week to increase the deadline previous this weekend to avert points for the primary few video games of the Yankees’ season.
That led to YES CEO Jon Litner becoming a member of the published of the Yankees-Brewers recreation to handle the present scenario.
“Despite our attempts to negotiate a new carriage agreement with them, Comcast has refused to negotiate. Instead, they have informed us that they will drop the YES Network from their programming lineup Monday night at midnight,” Litner stated on the air whereas sitting between Yankees broadcasters Michael Kay and Paul O’Neill.
Litner went on to say that the community had come to agreements with “all of our largest distributors” to maintain YES Community on these platforms.
The Community’s CEO then advised that Comcast had been exhibiting “preferential treatment” to RSNs that it had a stake in – Comcast owns a chunk of the Mets TV house SNY – whereas stiffing ones that they don’t.
“They are demanding that YES move to a more expensive, digital package that will cost you, its loyal customers, $20 more per month,” he continued. “At the same time, Comcast continues to give their own networks, including SNY, preferential treatment by keeping them in the less-costly package. And this is exactly the bullying tactic Comcast used against MSG Networks a few years ago which resulted in MSG being dropped by Comcast. I guess it’s the Comcast playbook to favor their own networks and disadvantage networks they do not own.”
Litner concluded his look by calling on Yankees followers with Comcast to name their cable supplier or native politicians to voice their displeasure over the problem.
Although it will seem native politicians are nicely conscious of the scenario at hand.
Federal Communications Fee chairman Brendan Carr posted an announcement on X on Sunday evening, together with a screenshot of The Put up’s protection of the continued dispute.
“I would encourage a quick and favorable resolution for the benefit of everyone, Carr said in part. “The FCC does have authority to step in and address claims of discriminatory conduct.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont – representatives from two areas that can be most affected if YES goes darkish on Comcast – have each beforehand posted messages on X calling for the 2 sides to return to an settlement.
Comcast launched an announcement following the looks by Litner, pointing the finger again at YES for the present standoff.
“We have offered to distribute YES Network in the same package that has been accepted by 20 RSNs in over 100 DMAs across the country in order to provide fans with access to YES programming and a choice for consumers who do not want to pay the additional fees for the games,” Comcast stated in an announcement, per Terrible Asserting. “YES Network has insisted we pay higher fees when nearly 90% of customers watched fewer than 5 of the ~130 Yankees games it aired last season. If we lose the rights to carry YES, we will credit our customers between $7-$10 a month. Xfinity customers can also subscribe directly to the Gotham Sports App to watch the games.”
The sports activities media information web site additionally famous that Comcast has in truth moved their very own networks to higher-priced tiers prior to now, together with simply this previous January when it did so with NBC Sports activities Bay Space and NBC Sports activities California.
