There’s been another temporary reprieve in the YES Network–Comcast carriage dispute, as the sides have struck a short-term extension and agreed to keep negotiating, according to industry sources.
The regional sports network home of MLB’s Yankees and the NBA’s Nets will stay on the air for New York–area Comcast subscribers until at least 11:59 p.m. on March 31. The four-day extension arrived just hours before a distribution contract on the No. 2 U.S. cable carrier was due to expire.
The extension, at least the 10th in this ongoing negotiation, ensures the YES Network will be on the air for Comcast subscribers when it begins its live game coverage of the Yankees’ 2025 regular season Saturday. ESPN carried the team’s season opener Thursday.
A large-scale philosophical divide remains, however, between YES Network and Comcast, particularly as the distributor continues its efforts to place RSNs on more expensive premium tiers. Nearly two dozen such channels have already been tiered on Comcast systems.
The YES Network insists it has a unique status as one of the most-watched RSNs in the country, operating as the only such channel in the No. 1 U.S. media market with top-tier live sports all year and with the revered brand of the Yankees.
In addition to the specific issues related to this negotiation, and RSNs more generally, Comcast also has other MLB interests potentially at play, as its NBC Sports has openly expressed interest in regaining national rights with the league.
