Just a few weeks after Time Warner Cable has finally gotten the ball rolling with HBO Go, some of them may lose their favorite sports. In the New York area, Time Warner Cable has been negotiation with MSG Network over sports coverage for a while now. Unfortunately, the negotiation process has slowly turned into a stubborn battle with both sides seemingly refuses concessions.
Without viewing options for Knicks, Rangers, Sabres, Islanders, and Devils fans, the season may be a little lackluster. Which super sucks for NBA basketball fans who, after only recently learning basketball will be around this season, might have the chance to watch taken away from them. You would think with Time Warner Cable being a major distributor for the area, the company would cave in to the hike in price MSG Network is asking for. That doesn't seem to be the case, however. According to Variety, Time Warner Cable contends MSG has created a 53% rate hike they cannot possibly pay, while MSG believes it can stick by a 6.5% hike, as long as the two sides continue negotiations.
The right answer is probably somewhere in the middle; however, since the two groups have only until December 31 - when the carriage deal ends - to get on the same page, the whole issue is looking pretty uneasy. At this point MSG Media President Mike Bair is even urging subscribers of Time Warner Cable to find a different provider. While that’s an easy shot at Time Warner Cable, choosing to go down the road of pithy but pathetic commentary about another company means things are not going MSG’s way and they are not happy about it. If Variety's sources are correct and MSG does go off the air, there is a good chance it will be MSG pulling the plug. Since MSG is going so far as to urge people to switch providers, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks along with other sports were pulled to make a point.
