Attorneys General Call to Lift Knicks Blackout

WIth Optimum customers denied access to New York Knicks games, attorneys general from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are calling a timeout.

Per Ariel Zilber of the New York Post, Letitia James (NY), Matthew Platkin (NJ), and William Tong (CT) have each signed a letter to Altice, the parent company of cable brand Optimum, that calls for either the lifting of a blackout of MSG Networks or to reimburse customers still paying for the channels despite their departure from such cable boxes.

“New York sports fans are being put in the penalty box, forced to shell out their hard-earned money for television channels they cannot even watch,” James said per Zilber, recalling a term that should be familiar to fans of the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. “Optimum customers have paid for channels to watch their home sports teams, but their cable company is not offering these channels while charging them anyway.”

Knicks games broadcast on MSG, as well as those of the Devils, Islanders, and Rangers, have not appeared on Optimum in the new year thanks to an ongoing dispute primarily stemming from MSG's placement in the premium or basic tiers of service. With such services denied, viewers have been forced to turn to the Gotham Sports App, a joint venture that streams content from both MSG and YES Network, the television home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets.

Mike Breen, the lead play-by-play man and longtime voice of the Knicks on MSG, sympathized Optimum customers missing out, especially with New York (34-17) said to be working on its most legitimate championship case in quite some time.

“I just feel awful for them,” Breen told Neil Best of Newsday. “They've waited all this time for a team like this, and now they can't see the games. Growing up, I was a Knicks fan, so I understand the emotions and the roller-coaster ride that comes with being a fan of a team. To have this being a thrilling ride right now and not be able to watch it, I couldn't imagine . . . I'm hoping, clearly, that something gets done and they can get back to watching their favorite team.”

Those affected by the outage catch a little break on Saturday as the Knicks' anticipated bout with Boston will be nationally televised (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

[[UPDATE: 5:00 p.m. ET]]: Optimum has released a statement to Knicks on SI regarding the politicians' letter:

“Since January 1, Optimum has been focused on limiting customer disruption by proactively engaging with customers to provide personalized assistance and alternative solutions for sports fans and non-sports fans alike. From press releases and social media campaigns to customer emails and educational videos, we have been vocal about the options we have available — from helping to offset the cost of Gotham Sports or Fubo to transitioning customers to new video offerings that save them an average of $25/month. Optimum teams are ready to help, and we encourage all customers — MSG viewers or not — to call or chat with us so that we can listen to their unique needs and assist them. Customers can also learn more at. In the meantime, while we help customers by offering a variety of more options, MSG Networks has done nothing to make their content more affordable and has made no effort to assist impacted fans.As we have repeatedly said, the legacy video model is broken because distributors like Optimum continue to be handcuffed by programmers like MSG Networks who demand we make their content available to the majority of customers, regardless of actual viewer interest. It is this antiquated model, one that forces high fees and minimum penetration rates, that continues to drive up the costs of legacy video packages and gives distributors like us little flexibility to adjust prices – especially in an evolving TV landscape where consumers now have more choice than ever before. We agree that our customers need affordable, practical options now, which is why we launched more affordable packages that are made possible thanks to programmers who are willing to partner with us in new ways that address customer needs. This is also why we’re advocating for our customers and pushing back on MSG’s approach. Optimum remains focused on fighting for our customers and offering solutions that provide the content they want to watch at affordable prices.”

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