With Cablevision and Fox ending their 15-day licensing fees standoff Saturday, the much anticipated New York Jets versus Green Bay Packers NFL showdown was broadcast on homes throughout Long Island yesterday.
But the dismal Gang Green performance left some Cablevision subscribers wondering why the two billion-dollar companies rushed to get it on the air.
“Today, I wish they would have not gotten the deal done,” joked Paul Viscovitch, a Rockville Center restaurateur, moments after watching a lifeless 9-0 defeat. “I’m shocked they actually got it settled. I thought it was going to go until the Super Bowl.”
According to Business Week, the Fox blackout — which affected more than 3 million Cablevision subscribers — was the longest major broadcast network disruption in at least a decade. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Bethpage-based Cablevision had said Fox wanted to double their $70 million yearly fee.
And typically, cost hikes are passed along to subscribers.
Torianna Quick, a Yonkers waitress, said even a $10 increase to her $70-per-month Cablevision bill would force her to terminate service. Irene Clemont, a stylist from the Bronx, was happy to get “House” and “Family Guy” back, but said the deal was another way “to squeeze our pockets.”
