Contract Dispute Could Force Some Steelers Fans to Miss Ravens Game

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Baltimore Ravens in a do-or-die matchup in Week 18. Winner claims the AFC North title and heads into the playoffs, and loser goes home with their season over.

The pivotal game will be aired on Sunday Night Football, making the primetime matchup one the entire NFL world will want to see, but not all fans will get to watch it.

The game will be aired locally on WPXI at 8:20 P.M. ET on Sunday. However, due to a contract dispute between WPXI's station owner, Cox Media Group, and Verizon, not all fans will have access to the game.

As it stands right now, customers with Verizon Fios will not have the game available on WPXI. The station has been unavailable to Fios customers for the last several weeks.

"WPXI-TV is proud of our commitment to investing in high-quality local news and investigative journalism. The latest actions of Verizon/Fios threaten those investments and hurt consumers who rely on us for local news, weather, and a robust slate of sports and other popular entertainment programming," WPXI general manager Kevin Hayes said in a statement. "Verizon/Fios should stop holding its own customers hostage in its attempts to harm local journalism and community service, all while it tries to get even larger at the expense of our loyal viewers."

The contract ended in December and the two sides have yet to reach a new agreement.

Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) runs with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The same disagreement forced some New England Patriots fans to miss the team's Week 17 game against the New York Jets because of Cox-owned WXFT, the affiliate in Boston.

While we are committed to reaching a new agreement that is fair and prevents our customers’ bills from increasing unreasonably, Cox is more focused on their own financial gain at the expense of the viewing public," a Verizon Fios spokesperson said in a statement to the Boston Herald. "Despite our exhaustive efforts, they continue to demand rate increases and other terms that are neither reasonable nor fair to the families we serve."

Steelers vs. Ravens Showdown

The Steelers versus Ravens game decides everything, and is set to be the most exciting matchup of the weekend. With the division and the playoffs on the line, these two AFC North rivals will square off, coming off of a big win - and a big loss.

For Pittsburgh, they could've wrapped up the AFC North title in Week 17 but lost, 13-6, to the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Ravens defeated the Green Bay Packers to keep their season alive heading into the rivalry game at Acrisure Stadium.

The Steelers are 1-0 against the Ravens this season, claiming a 27-22 victory over them in Baltimore in Week 14.

WPXI continues to be available for all other streaming services, cable and satellite.

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