New York Yankees fans in New Jersey and Connecticut can breathe (sort of) easy—for now, at least. A probable blackout of the YES Network on Comcast Xfinity service has been postponed at the last second, quite literally. Both sides agreed to push the deadline to 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31.
But truth be told, this is only a temporary fix and not the resolution. And at the heart of this mess is money (shocking, isn’t it?). Comcast wants to move YES Network to a higher-priced digital tier. This means the fans might have to pay more to get what they previously did with their basic cable package. Meanwhile, YES is not agreeing to the move either because, according to them, this would cut off a major part of their audience.
Now, former Miami Marlins President David Samson opened up about this situation.
According to Samson, Comcast has all the leverage, and the Yankees are simply holding on to their past. “Comcast is being realistic about what YES Network is, and the Yankees are trying to hold on like fingers on a slipping iceberg,” Samson mentioned. For him, the days of regional sports networks being part of basic cable are long gone.
Samson also talked about streaming services like YouTube TV. They have already bailed on YES and the other RSNs entirely. “The days of asking other people to pay for your entertainment—those days are over.” Hence, Comcast’s stance is just another sign that traditional TV is not the same as before.
As of now, Samson thinks that the New York Yankees need to prove their worth in the current market rather than bank on their past success. “How do you feel about having to prove your worth?” He logically compared the situation to the workplace dynamic where an employee can’t rely on their past performance to justify their current value. “It’s way easier when you can trade on the past or trade on the future… but the reality is that now, YES Network is in a totally different position because Comcast is in a totally different position,” explained Samson.
According to David Samson, YES Network thrived when it was included in Comcast’s basic package, allowing it to collect fees from all subscribers, whether they watched Yankees games or not. But now, with more people cutting the cord, Comcast wants to make YES an optional add-on. The Yankees, however, aren’t yet ready to accept that reality.
Pressure mounts on the Yankees and YES Network blackout
Does this entire ordeal sound familiar? Well, they’re, kind of!
Back in 2015, Comcast subscribers lost YES for almost two years. Now the question is: Will history repeat itself? Currently, the situation is grim. And as if the situation wasn’t already messy! Politicians are also getting involved in this.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, in fact, publicly urged both sides to resolve their dispute without impacting the sanity of fans. “Both broadcasting parties need to stay at the table and resolve this dispute without impacting fans.” For him, baseball lovers shouldn’t get caught in the crossfire of corporate politics.
And it isn’t just him.
Even New Jersey State Sen. Paul Sarlo chimed in. He warned that moving YES to a higher tier would be a huge slap in the face for the middle-class sector. And he isn’t wrong. Yankee fans already shell out a lot to keep up with their team, and this would be just another add-on. So, if this drags on, things can escalate quickly.
For now, though, the Yankee fans will have access to YES, and the next game is safe. But if the negotiations end up stalling again, then fans will have to resort to alternatives, like the Gotham Sports app at around $24.99 per month. Or simply miss out on those MLB games! But guess it won’t REALLY be simple, right?
Right now, the bottom line is this saga is far from over. If Comcast and YES can’t strike a deal fast, then the fans can be up for a rather frustrating summer.
The post Yankees Face Major TV Blackout as Comcast Standoff Drags On—Even Ex-Marlins President Sounds the Alarm appeared first on EssentiallySports.
