Deep into the night last night, the Comcast Corporation finally reached a deal with the YES Network for continued distribution of the regional sports network. As a result, its customers will be able to continue viewing New York Yankees baseball, Brooklyn Nets basketball, and other live programming. Previously, the two sides were nearing the expiration of a deadline that had already been extended to avoid a blackout of YES Network amid the expiration of its carriage agreement.
Ultimately, the news of the agreement—just before the proverbial eleventh hour on Monday night—comes at a crucial time, as the Yankees are set to begin a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Nets are closing out the regular season with five home games.
Meanwhile, YES Network chairman and New York Yankees president Randy Levine issued a statement on Tuesday morning, thanking all those who contributed to reaching an agreement.
“On behalf of the YES Network and the New York Yankees, I want to express our deep appreciation to everyone who supported our efforts to keep the YES Network from going dark,” said Levine in a statement. “All of you worked tirelessly to urge us to stay at the table and reach a deal.”
Just two days prior, on Sunday afternoon, YES Network chief executive officer Jon Litner appeared in the Yankees’ television broadcast booth, where he delineated the situation and explained that Comcast had been demanding YES Network move to a more expensive digital package. Furthermore, Litner spoke about how Comcast has been giving its own networks preferred treatment, including SportsNet New York, in which it possesses a partial ownership stake.
According to Levine, the issue escalated to the highest level, with the White House and the chairman of the FCC becoming directly involved in the negotiations. Additionally, he extended his thanks to many representatives from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey for their work in facilitating the agreement.
“I would like to thank President Donald J. Trump and his administration, especially Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr,” noted Levine. “And the numerous additional elected officials who supported the rights of New York Yankees fans in various ways.”
For months, the two sides had been locked in a standoff related to carriage fees, with Comcast wanting to move YES Network out of the basic cable tier to a higher-priced digital tier, while YES Network strongly resisted the move. Although full details of the resolution have yet to be released, Levine took time to acknowledge and thank Yankees fans for their patience throughout the ordeal.
“Most importantly, we want to thank Yankees fans everywhere who showed their unwavering support and passion for keeping YES on the air,” said Levine. “Your voices truly made a difference.”
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