Nexstar‘s WPIX in New York and NewsNation are among the many TV properties that may now not be seen on cable techniques owned by Altice, within the newest carriage dispute to erupt within the business.
Nexstar stated Friday that 63 of its native TV stations had gone darkish in 42 markets across the U.S. because of a contract disagreement. Altice had round 2.03 million pay-TV subscribers within the third quarter of 2024.
“Altice has persistently made unreasonable and unprecedented calls for of Nexstar, culminating with their resolution to stroll away from the negotiations,” stated Michael Biard, Nexstar’s president and chief working officer. “We perceive the issue of Altice’s monetary scenario, burdened as it’s by billions in debt, however the resolution isn’t to pressure Optimum subscribers to repeatedly pay extra whereas getting much less.”
Altice stated it had provided an interim extension whereas negotiations continued, however was turned down by Nexstar.
“Sadly, Nexstar is utilizing an anti-consumer negotiation tactic – tying native channels to much less common ones – requiring Optimum and its prospects to pay for channels like NewsNation, which has basically no viewership, with the intention to proceed carrying Nexstar broadcast stations in numerous markets throughout the nation,” Altice stated in a press release.
Altice, which counts key cable techniques in New York as a part of its Optimum service, can also be in a carriage dispute with MSG Networks, led by James L. Dolan, whose household used to function Cablevision, which Altice bought in 2015 for $17.7 billion. Altice USA relies in Lengthy Island, New York.
Nexstar stated it has been in what it referred to as “good religion negotiations” with Altice since October, however indicated the service had demanded “particular phrases which are wildly out of step with each our longstanding relationship and the cable tv market.” Disputes between carriers and media corporations and station house owners have change into extra frequent in recent times as subscribers shift away from conventional TV and undertake streaming companies instead.
Altice serves a number of communities in and across the New York metropolitan space in addition to within the southern and midwestern U.S.