AG in N.Y. tells cable providers to cut sports program fees

New York’s top law enforcement officer demanded that the big cable and satellite television providers cut or eliminate fees tied to live sports programming during the coronavirus pandemic, saying customers are being forced to pay for access to events that don’t exist.

The companies, including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., should immediately propose plans to cut charges and provide financial relief to customers already strained by the crisis, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday in a statement.

“At a time when so many New Yorkers have lost their jobs and are struggling, it is grossly unfair that cable and satellite television providers would continue to charge fees for services they are not even providing,” James said.

Cable fees have become a flash point since most of the major sports postponed their seasons in mid-March. Fees paid to sports networks are a huge chunk of consumers’ monthly bills, with ESPN alone accounting for almost $8 out of a nationwide average of $85, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. In New York, fees for sports channels add up to more than $30.

Some companies, such as car insurers, have refunded money to customers.

The other companies that received letters from James are Charter Communications Inc., Dish Network Corp., Altice USA, Comcast Corp. and RCN Corp., according to the statement.

“Verizon has been advocating for its customers and negotiating with programmers to create a customerfirst solution to address the current environment,” spokesman David Weissmann said in an email. “We call on programmers and the sports leagues to cooperate with us to create a solution that provides relief to customers until live sports return to television.”