After Speaking With Officials at Comcast and YES, Blumenthal Urges Compromise to End Yankees Blackout

(Hartford, CT) – After speaking with officials at Comcast and YES Network over the weekend, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today issued the following statement urging the parties to quickly resolve a dispute that threatens Connecticut Comcast customers’ ability to view Yankees games. Since last November, 83 Connecticut communities serviced by Comcast have been without YES Network because of a dispute over subscription fees.

“I have reached out to officials at Comcast and YES to personally urge them to find a way to bring programming back to Yankees fans, but sadly it appears there is no end to the impasse in sight,” Blumenthal said. “I share the frustration with the thousands of Yankees fans who are blacked out from watching their team play. With rain postponing today’s Opening Day game, Comcast and YES should use this extra day to put consumers first and return to the negotiating table. For companies of this size – and profitability – to be putting consumers in this position does a disservice to the men and women who faithfully paid their cable bills.”  

Blumenthal and Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent a letter last week urging Comcast and YES to either find a solution that ensures all Yankees games are carried, or, in the case that a long-term solution cannot be reached by Opening Day, for YES Network to work out a temporary solution for Yankees fans and for Comcast to refund all of its subscribers a portion of their monthly bill commensurate with YES Network’s value."

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