ALBANY — Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a notice to Charter Communications, alerting them that Spectrum cable TV customers are entitled to refunds due to the ongoing blackout of ESPN and other channels caused by the provider’s nationwide standoff with Disney. This situation has become increasingly dire with the start of the NFL season.
In her order, Hochul instructed State Public Service Commissioner Rory Christian to pursue refunds for Spectrum customers. She stated in a prepared statement, “If you pay your cable bill, you deserve to get the services you pay for.”
Christian also wrote a letter to Charter, seeking confirmation and details regarding the refund or credit to compensate for the blackouts. He requested Charter to respond to several questions within 14 business days, including the timing and calculation of the credits and communication plans with customers on this matter.
Details of the refunds or credits were not clear as of Friday afternoon, although Charter/Spectrum assured that they would provide some form of compensation. Charter President and CEO Chris Winfrey stated, “We will have a strategy to make sure that we treat customers appropriately and fairly as it relates to credit.”
Spectrum spokeswoman Lara Pritchard added, “Ever since Disney pulled its programming, we have been working with affected customers individually.”
The frustration among Buffalo Bills fans, known for their passion, has caught the attention of Governor Hochul, who grew up in the region. She has previously shown support for the area through her allocation of $600 million in state funds towards a new Bills stadium. Rochester Democratic state Senator Jeremy Cooney had already urged the Public Service Commission to pursue refunds, and he applauded Hochul’s action.
Christian’s letter highlighted that the cable blackout has impacted over 1.5 million New Yorkers. Charter/Spectrum is the primary cable provider in the Capital Region.
This dispute between Charter and Disney goes beyond typical disagreements over carriage fees. It has become a battle centered around the changing landscape of viewers leaving traditional cable for streaming services. Charter, which offers internet service alongside cable access, seeks to provide Disney’s subscription-model streaming services for free to its cable customers. They also want the flexibility to remove certain sports programming from Disney/ESPN packages to cut costs, moving towards an “a la carte” subscription model that Disney opposes.
Charter, the second-largest cable provider with 14.7 million subscribers, currently pays Disney approximately $2.2 billion annually for content. Winfrey expressed concerns about the future of the cable industry, stating that it is at the precipice of significant change as more customers abandon cable in favor of internet-based streaming.
For Disney and sports fans, there are alternative options available. Spectrum customers can visit websites like video-choice.com to access the content that is currently unavailable. These sites direct users to fubo.tv, which offers free trial streaming services for football and other sports. Additionally, Monday’s Bills-Jets game will be broadcast on local ABC affiliates, including WTEN.
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