The New York Knicks are having one of their best seasons in recent memory, but unfortunately, many New Yorkers haven’t been able to watch them.
MSG Networks, the Knicks’ television home, went dark on Altice USA’s Optimum cable systems at the beginning of the year, leaving a large portion of the team’s fan base without a means of watching games through their traditional pay-TV provider.
The blackout is leaving one prominent NBA voice frustrated.
Mike Breen, the lead NBA play-by-play announcer for ESPN nationally and MSG locally, is upset that New York fans are being deprived of watching such a good squad.
Speaking with Newsday’s Neil Best, Breen said, “I just feel awful for them. They’ve waited all this time for a team like this, and now they can’t see the games. Growing up, I was a Knicks fan, so I understand the emotions and the rollercoaster ride that comes with being a fan of a team. To have this being a thrilling ride right now and not be able to watch it, I couldn’t imagine…I’m hoping, clearly, that something gets done and they can get back to watching their favorite team.”
Optimum is the pay TV provider for approximately one-third of New York households that subscribe to a cable or satellite package. That amounts to about one million customers who can’t watch Knicks games due to the blackout.
MSG Networks recently proposed third-party arbitration to reach a deal, which Optimum promptly dismissed as a “PR stunt.”
Perhaps someone of Mike Breen’s stature clamoring publicly for a deal can help move things along, though New York fans shouldn’t count on it.
