LINtense Dispute Ends With Settlement
Published February 21, 2012
A dispute over a contract agreement between Time Warner Cable and MSG Network ended on Friday, meaning millions more New York subscribers will be able to watch Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks do their magic on the court of Madison Square Garden, The New York Times reports.
The back-and-forth lasted 48 days, the Times says, and forced many fans around New York state to miss the on-court performance of basketball star Lin, who has driven the brand development of the team and attracted more fans from around the country. TWC claimed that MSG pulled out of the proposal for a 6.5 percent increase in what Time Warner would pay to carry MSG, later demanding a 54 percent rise on the total, according to the newspaper.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn issued a statement applauding the deal, the International Business Times reports.
"I want to thank the MSG Network and Time Warner Cable for coming to a deal that will put the Knicks and the Rangers back on TV," Quinn said. "Now, a million more New Yorkers will be able to go Linsane in the privacy of their own living room."
According to the news source, Quinn had issued an ultimatum Thursday, threatening both parties with a public hearing if they did not resolve the dispute within two weeks.
Another critic of MSG and TWC, Councilwoman Margaret Chin, was quoted by the IBT as calling the standoff "unfair."
"At the end of the day, businesses are accountable to their customers," Chin said. She had also noted that the argument was detrimental to Asian American families, many of whom couldn't watch Lin become the NBA sensation he is today due to the blackout.