MSG Networks, the regional TV broadcaster owned by entertainment and sports venue Madison Square Garden, has issued a scathing retort to the Altice USA telecommunications service following a carriage dispute between the two that has seen MSG Networks blacked out on Altice’s Optimum TV service.
Optimum’s contract to carry the networks expired on December 31, 2024, and a blackout has ensued with no deal in place going forward, a factor Optimum attributed to MSG Networks itself, accusing the broadcaster on January 2 of trying 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“squeeze its viewers for more money to watch their content, refusing to evolve or deviate from a broken model that is outdated based on the evolution of the entertainment industry, is anti-consumer, and unsustainable in today’s programming landscape.”
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On January 10, MSG Networks responded, placing the blame for the blackout solely at Altice’s feet, urging its customers to abandon the telecoms firm in favor of rival Verizon and its Verizon Fios bundled internet and TV service.
MSG Networks stated: “Altice USA has pulled [its] last proposal and walked away from negotiations to bring MSG Networks back to its Optimum subscribers. [It] also just dropped WPIX Channel 11 in New York and other local stations around the country.”
Optimum had said that it was MSG Networks’ refusal to budge on certain terms, despite Optimum offering to “absorb” the price increases should it allow them to be able to vary the network's offering to different customers, that led to a prospective deal collapsing.
Following that, Optimum said that it was working with its customers to find an alternate solution to watch games covered by MSG Networks, but MSG Networks has suggested that Optimum is now indebted to its customers, saying: “Optimum has been charging their over 1 million customers for local sports programming they have not been receiving and EVERY subscriber should be credited at least $10 a month.”
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By GlobalDataFor those in areas not covered by Verizon, MSG has suggested providers DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, and its own Gotham Sports App (a joint venture with Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network) as outlets to find MSG Network games.
As the feud escalates, MSG Networks has launched a website, keepmsg.com, where it is informing Optimum customers how to switch providers, and asking them to lobby for an end to the blackout deal.
MSG Networks has been engaged in a “comprehensive” distribution agreement with Verizon Fios since 2021 and in 2024 Verizon itself entered into a wide-ranging multi-year agreement with the wider MSG family of companies covering sponsorship inventory, wireless services, and more.
Verizon Fios has now launched an offer for those currently subscribed to Optimum.
MSG Networks covers home games featuring the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks, and four National Hockey League franchises – the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and the Buffalo Sabres.
Both the NBA and NHL seasons are ongoing.
