HUDSON VALLEY- David Shufelt is a diehard Knicks and Rangers fan and watches every game on MSG Network.
However, due to a dispute between Optimum and MSG Network, Shufelt and more than a million customers in the tri-state area have been unable to watch the Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, and Devils games.
“I’m 87 years old, and I’m losing my mind not being able to watch the Knicks or Rangers for a whole month. If I can’t watch the games, it seems like the very least they can do is give me my money back,” said Shufelt, who lives in Millerton in Dutchess County. “For some people, it might not feel like much, but the cable plan and every new streaming service that seems to pop up every day is already bleeding me dry.”
With fans such as Shufelt in mind, Congressman Pat Ryan (D, NY-18) and U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut this week introduced the “Stop Sports Blackouts Act” to make cable companies refund customers who aren’t able to watch the channels they already pay for during television blackouts.
“It’s outrageous that millions of folks couldn’t watch the Knicks, Judy Justice, or dozens of other programs for weeks because of blackouts, Congressman Ryan said. “And it’s even more ridiculous that we’re all still paying for the right to stare at black screens! I don’t see why this is even a debate – cable companies simply should not be able to advertise and charge for services they are not providing.”
On January 1st, Optimum and MSG Network announced that they were unable to renew their distribution agreement, leaving subscribers unable to watch NBA and NHL games in the middle of the season. On January 10, Optimum subscribers were subjected to an additional blackout when the company announced it had failed to come to an agreement with Nexstar Media, which owns the syndication rights to popular show “Judy Justice,” starring Judge Judy Sheindlin, as well as the NewsNation network.
Congressman Ryan and Senator Murphy’s Stop Sports Blackouts Act would direct the Federal Communications Commission to require television distributors to provide rebates to subscribers for television blackouts that occur as a result of carriage disputes.
“Thank you, Congressman Ryan, for actually hearing when folks like me talk about the economic pressure we’re feeling, and always fighting for us,” Shufelt said.
