Comcast’s Xfinity vs. Yes Network: What’s the Latest?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, any news on Comcast and the Yes Network? Will we be able to watch the Yanks on Xfinity or not? – Jim, town withheld.

Jim, Comcast’s carriage negotiations with the Yes Network, the regional TV home of the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Nets, appear to be continuing this morning with no announcement of a settlement from either party.

Comcast Subs Could Lose New York Yankees Games

The dispute became public on Monday night (March 24) when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement saying the cable operator could lose the Yes Network as soon as yesterday. The governor said a temporary carriage agreement between the companies was scheduled to expire on Tuesday. She urged the two companies to settle before the Yankees’ regular season began on Thursday. (The Yankees’ first game will be televised on ESPN so it would not be affected by a blackout.)

”Opening Day is coming up this Thursday, but many New York sports fans are about to be shut out. The extension of an agreement between Comcast Cable and the YES Network is set to expire on Tuesday, and Yankees and Nets fans will be hardest hit. Fans should never be caught in the crossfire of a corporate dispute,” the governor stated.

“Both broadcasting parties need to stay at the table and resolve this dispute without impacting fans. As your Governor, I am prepared to take further action if this is not resolved, as I’ve done in the past, by directing New York’s Department of Public Service to call public hearings on how consumers are being affected, securing refunds for disruptions and whatever else it takes to resolve broadcasting disruptions for all New Yorkers.”

What the Yes Network Is Saying

Comcast, which offers TV service in parts of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has yet to respond publicly to the governor’s remarks. But the Yes Network yesterday told the sports business web site, Sportio.com, that it hoped Comcast would not remove the channel while negotiations continued.

Why Comcast and Yes Network Are Fighting

Sportico also reported that the two sides are fighting over whether Comcast can move the Yes Network to a more expensive programming tier which could cost subscribers an extra $20 a month to watch. The cable operator has successfully negotiated the higher tier approach with several other RSNs (regional sports network) including MASN and Root Sports. Comcast saves money on carriage fees with a RSN in a higher tier because the fees are based on the number of subscribers who have access. However, the TV provider in turn reduces the regional sports fee in the lower tier package that no longer includes the RSN.

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Phillip Swann

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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch  TV. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.