New York sports fans who subscribe to Optimum can finally rejoice.
MSG Networks is back on Altice-owned Optimum in time for Saturday’s Rangers-Sabres game after the two sides came to a new agreement to put MSGN’s channels back on the airwaves.
Optimum stopped carrying Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and Devils games for its estimated 1 million New York City-area customers on Jan. 1.
After weeks of fighting, the two sides reached a multi-year deal that gives Optimum the ability to sell lower-priced packages without MSG which was on its basic tier, a source told The Post.
MSG Networks is lowering the price it charges Optimum per subscriber from about $10 to $8, the source said.
Optimum will now offer three tiers: Entertainment TV, Extra TV and Everything TV.
MSG and other sports channels — like YES Network and SNY — will be in the Everything tier.
“MSG Networks and Altice USA today are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement for the relaunch of MSG Networks on Optimum video lineups,” the companies said in a joint statement on Saturday afternoon. “MSG Networks and Altice USA would like to thank everyone for their patience as we partnered to reach this new agreement to benefit our fans and Optimum subscribers.”
James Dolan’s MSG Networks is in default on its loans and its lenders, led by Chase, have agreed not to put it into bankruptcy for at least another month.
“This deal brings new value and flexibility to Optimum TV, making our efforts over the last two months well worth the wait and capturing a major win for Optimum on behalf of our customers,” Altice USA Chairman and CEO Dennis Mathew said in a Saturday memo to his employees reviewed by The Post. “I’m pleased to say that after several months of negotiations with MSG Networks, today they have agreed to a deal that we believe sets the stage for a broader change within the TV industry.”
“I am extremely proud of our [negotiators] for executing [this deal] with such determination and tenacity.”
As things dragged out into February, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul threatened Altice with public hearings if it did not respond to a formal request from the Department of Public Service that called for the company to “publicly explain how it is protecting affected customers.”
“New Yorkers are proud sports fanatics, and blocking Knicks, Rangers and Islanders fans from watching programming they’ve paid to watch is simply unconscionable,” Hochul said in a Feb. 10 release. “Denying fans access to live sports because of a ridiculous dispute between Optimum and MSG is unfair to New Yorkers and our patience has expired. This has gone on for long enough — it’s time for both sides to get back to the negotiating table and resolve this for the good of New Yorkers.
“Enough is enough!”
Hochul said on Saturday she was happy that fans finally can watch their teams again but called the agreement a “long-overdue step.”
“I’m going to keep fighting like hell for New York consumers — no matter which team they root for,” she said in a statement.
As the two sides traded barbs in the negotiating process, MSG Networks used an advertisement to try to woo fans away from Optimum.
On Feb. 13, one day after The Post’s Ariel Zilber reported that Altice handed out huge raises to top executives, MSG Networks countered with an ad that included legendary Rangers play-by-play man Sam Rosen — in his final year broadcasting — switching his TV provider to Verizon Fios.
“Because of Optimum dropping MSG, I’ve lost a big part of what I love the most and that are games,” Rosen said in the video posted to the network’s social media channels. “Knicks games, Rangers games, got to the point where it was time for a change.”
The post on X also came with a directive from MSG Networks: “Optimum subscribers! Follow Sam’s lead and switch to Fios TV on Verizon today. Don’t miss another game!”
Now, Optimum subscribers will have their basketball and hockey back in time from the final stretch of the regular season.
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