Since 12:01 a.m. on January 1, MSG Networks, the home of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres, has been absent from Optimum’s cable offerings due to a carriage dispute between Optimum owner Altice and MSG parent Sphere Entertainment. This standoff resulted in significant public exchanges, including highlighting figures like Rangers’ broadcaster Sam Rosen, but a deal has finally been reached. On Saturday, both parties issued a joint release announcing their agreement for the relaunch of MSG Networks on Optimum video lineups.
MSG Networks and Optimum are pleased to announce they have reached an agreement for the relaunch of MSG Networks on Optimum video lineups.
MSG Networks and Optimum would like to thank everyone for their patience as we partnered to reach this new agreement to benefit our fans and Optimum subscribers.
Specific terms of the agreement were not released.
As noted, the public drama surrounding this dispute began with the lead-up to the dispute and continued with ongoing developments. The main issue seems to revolve around Optimum’s attempt to elevate MSG to a higher tier while the regional sports network resisted. Without the terms disclosed, it’s unclear how this situation was resolved.
This dispute was particularly notable due to the volume of public commentary involved, including contrasting claims about who left negotiations and the seriousness of various offers. Additionally, there was involvement from politicians, such as New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the attorney generals of NY, CT, and NJ demanding refunds, along with various PR efforts, including MSG’s ad featuring Rosen switching to Verizon’s Fios TV.
This is among several challenges currently facing carriage agreement renewals, as multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) strive to minimize costs while pushing back against content providers’ direct-to-consumer initiatives. Notably, MSG has not only developed its own DTC initiative but also partnered with YES for the Gotham Sports app. Channels, particularly regional sports networks (RSNs), aim for increased or, at the very least, stable per-subscriber fees while seeking to maintain or enhance their tier placement.
Bridging this divide is no simple task, which explains why disputes often result in the removal of channels. However, the recent agreement between Optimum and MSG is a welcome development for fans of these teams, particularly with critical stages of the NBA and NHL seasons approaching. We expect to see similar RSN-MVPD disputes elsewhere in the future.
