With the curtain set to go up on the NBA and NHL season, MSG Network is alerting viewers that it is nearing a potential blackout on Comcast Xfinity cable systems in New Jersey and Connecticut.
Comcast is not the largest cable operator in America, but it is still the No. Although Comcast is the number 1 U.S. Cable Operator, it has very few customers in New York City. However, a healthy six-figure amount of customers in the suburbs could be at risk of losing their service. The regional sports network airs New York Knicks NBA games as well as New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers and Islanders NHL contests and Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls. Pre-season telecasts have begun for both the NBA and NHL. The NHL season will begin on October 12, and the NBA on Oct 19.
The current carriage agreement expires Thursday midnight. According to a source familiar with the situation, negotiations are not ongoing as they approach the deadline. MSG has started running a crawl across the screen with other messages across digital and TV platforms about the current state of affairs. (See the example below.
This is the latest development in the rapidly changing world of RSNs. Although they remain ratings generators and generate significant ad revenues and cash flow, their economic model is more suited to the past media era. They have lost their leverage due to cord-cutting, direct-to-consumer streaming options, and other factors. Some distributors have drawn a clear line with RSNs, resulting in protracted carriage fights. Sinclair Broadcast Group has had the Bally Sports portfolio offline for many months. Comcast’s own NBCUniversal just began warning YouTube TV customers that they were at risk of losing access to 14 networks, including six RSNs.
“We’ve been working to reach an agreement that is fair, reasonable and consistent with other major providers, while Comcast is demanding terms they’d never accept for their own regional sports networks, including SNY in New York,” MSG issued a statement. “Xfinity customers do not deserve to loseMSG Networks’coverage of their local sports teams, which includes hundreds of live games for the upcoming NBA and NHL seasons. MSG Networks is ready to continue working in good faith.”
Comcast did not immediately respond to Deadline’s request for comment.
The ratings for NBA and NHL games showed double-digit growths last season when compared to the preceding one. However, Covid-19 doesn’t make any exact comparisons. The lingering complications of the pandemic delayed the start of last year’s NBA and NHL seasons.