There is some serious drama brewing in the Bronx. No, it’s not injury, or New York Yankees losing a streak. But instead this time, it’s a heavyweight fight that’s going on between YES Network and Comcast, and baseball fans are caught in this crossfire.
Just imagine sitting for a New York Yankee game, only to see a black screen. Well, this could be the reality of millions of Comcast subscribers after 11:59 pm ET on Monday. Because the two sides can’t seem to reach a common ground. And YES Network isn’t staying quiet about the entire debacle.
So usually when a CEO of a company has a bone to pick with a cable giant, they issue a neatly done statement. But Jon Litner? He went straight to the people, and it has caused quite an uproar.
YES Network CEO Jon Litner joins the Yankees broadcast to throw Comcast under the bus amid a carriage dispute. #MLB https://t.co/d98E2WII3a pic.twitter.com/77JwY6gOGl
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 30, 2025
With all the fans watching a live game, Litner accused Comcast of “bullying” YES Network by refusing to negotiate in a good fashion. He even went on to claim that the company was simply trying to shove a higher-priced digital package on them, making it hard for Yankee fans to watch their team in action. “Comcast has refused to negotiate. Instead, they have informed us that they will drop the YES Network from their programming lineup Monday night at midnight.” But then came the real dagger of a talk!
Litner, without mincing words, said that Comcast was giving special treatment to SNY, the New York Mets TV home. And this is all while trying to force YES out of the picture. Litner was far from done ranting, and he warned that Comcast was following a pattern.
“Comcast continues to give their own networks, including SNY, preferential treatment by keeping them in the less costly package. And this is exactly the bullying tactic Comcast used against MSG Networks a few years ago, which resulted in MSG being dropped by Comcast.” For him, this behavior is just part of Comcast’s playbook.
In fact, Litner went on to rile up New York Yankee fans and urged them to take action themselves. He called on the viewers to flood Comcast with their complaints and even urged elected officials to demand a solution to this. All in all, it seems he doesn’t want the fanbase to suffer because of cable giant wars. Well, taking over a live broadcast to blast a provider is unheard of till now. Comcast, though, decided to go their way.
Comcast claps back on Litner with cold New York Yankee stat
Of course, Comcast had to come back with a reply. But they didn’t come in on live television. Instead, the company released a statement pushing all of Litner’s claims. And for them, YES was the side being unreasonable.
“We have offered to distribute YES Network in the same package that has been accepted by 20 RSNs in over 100 DMAs across the country to provide fans with access to YES programming and a choice for consumers who do not want to pay the additional fees for the games,” Comcast said.
FILE PHOTO: The Comcast NBC logo is shown on a building in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 13, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Comcast also claimed that nearly 90% of its customers watched no more than five of the 130 Yankees games aired last season. Ouch! But the cable giant did offer subscribers a rebate of $7-$10 a month if they do end up losing access to YES. But what about those who still want to watch Aaron Judge kill it on the mound? Comcast is redirecting them to subscribe directly to the Gotham Sports App.
This war between the two has already caught the attention of politicians. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr doubled down on the matter and asked the commission to investigate the claims of this conduct. Governors from New Jersey and Connecticut have urged both sides to reach a solution instead of prolonging this fight, as a possible blackout could heavily affect their states.
Right now, the deadline is only a few hours away. The fans will surely be watching closely. So do you think they will find common ground? Or will MLB fans have to find another way to watch their team? Let us know your thoughts.
The post Yes Network CEO Slams Comcast’s ‘Bullying Tactics’ Over Yankees Broadcast Days After Marlins Ex-Prez’s Bold Take appeared first on EssentiallySports.