Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman STERLEY S. STANLEY
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Comcast and YES Network to renew their carriage agreement before its expiration in March 2025.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging Comcast and the YES Network to renew their carriage agreement before its expiration on March 25, 2025.
Whereas, The YES Network (YES) has been the exclusive New York Yankees regional sports network since 2002; and
Whereas, YES also broadcasts coverage of Brooklyn Nets basketball games; and
Whereas, YES is carried by Comcast Cable (Comcast) and can be viewed by hundreds of thousands of Comcast customers in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, Fans have been hurt before when in 2016 Comcast and YES failed to reach an agreement depriving Yankees fans of the entire 2016 season of access to YES; and
Whereas, Sports games are one of the few types of television broadcasts that viewers must watch live to enjoy the experience; and
Whereas, Sports are often the reason customers subscribe to cable providers and are willing to pay additional money to watch their favorite sports team or sports network; and
Whereas, The New York Yankees are one of the oldest and most popular professional sports franchises in the country and serve as a cultural bond that stretches across all generations and all socio-economic groups; and
Whereas, Comcast is urged to consider reimbursing on a pro rata basis its customers who are paying for YES programming for each day of any broadcast interruption; and
Whereas, Both parties are urged to engage in good-faith negotiations and reach carriage terms that do not increase rates to Comcast customers who are Yankees fans for access to the YES Network; and
Whereas, Comcast and YES are urged to renew their carriage agreement, which, if not renewed, may prevent thousands of customers from enjoying broadcasts of New York Yankees games with Opening Day only days away; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges Comcast Cable and the YES Network to renew their carriage agreement before its termination in March 2025 so that thousands of New Jersey’s Comcast customers may view broadcasts of New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets games and matches.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Cable and to the President and Chief Executive Officer of the YES Network.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges Comcast (Comcast) and the YES Network (YES) to renew their carriage agreement before its expiration on March 25, 2025. YES has been the exclusive New York Yankees regional sports network since 2002. YES also broadcasts coverage of Brooklyn Nets basketball games.
YES is carried by Comcast and can be viewed by hundreds of thousands of Comcast customers in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Fans have been hurt before when in 2016 Comcast and YES failed to reach an agreement depriving Yankees fans of the entire 2016 season of access to YES.
Sports games are one of the few types of television broadcasts that viewers must watch live to enjoy the experience and are often the reason customers subscribe to cable providers and are willing to pay additional money to watch their favorite sports team or sports network. The New York Yankees are one of the oldest and most popular professional sports franchises in the country and serve as a cultural bond that stretches across all generations and all socio-economic groups.
This resolution urges Comcast and YES to renew their carriage agreement, which, if not renewed, may prevent thousands of customers from enjoying broadcasts of New York Yankees games with Opening Day only days away. The resolution also urges Comcast to consider reimbursing on a pro rata basis its customers who are paying for YES programming for each day of any broadcast interruption and both parties are urged to engage in good-faith negotiations and reach carriage terms that do not increase rates to Comcast customers who are Yankees fans for access to the YES Network.