New York sports fans who have Altice's Optimum have gone a week without being able to watch their favorite teams.
As soon as the calendar changed to 2025, Optimum customers lost MSG Networks.
The reason was due to a carriage dispute between the two sides.
A week later, fans of the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and New York Knicks with Optimum are still unable to watch their favorite team.
Customers who paid extra for packages or channels to ensure they wouldn't miss a moment when their favorite team was in action are now being offered some kind of package to offset the pain.
Yes, getting back money is important if you don't get the product you paid for. But it doesn't solve the fan's problem of missing out on moments that give them joy after a busy work day.
Comedian Chris Distefano speaks for all New York sports fans who are dealing with missing out:
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/p:DEgM66zyAFT[/embed]
MSG Networks does provide Optimum customers with a way to watch—a sure positive—by downloading and subscribing to the Gotham Sports App.
But they shouldn't have to go that route. It's ridiculous.
In a statement to The Hockey News from MSG Networks:
“MSG Networks is one of the most viewed television offerings in the New York metro area. This is a pure and simple price gouge from Altice. An attempt to add over $10 dollars a month right to their bottom line -- a $10 dollar rate increase on top of a 50 % rate increase. We remain ready to negotiate in good faith to get our programming back on Optimum."
It's time for Optimum to figure it out.