Tennis Channel Could Be Facing Another Distribution Battle With Cablevision

Tennis Channel President Ken Solomon "wonders what Cablevision will do when" the net's contract with the National Cable Television Cooperative ends at midnight Sept. 3, six days into the U.S. Open and "soon after the network’s Saturday night prime-time coverage ends," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. Two years ago, Cablevision and the Tennis Channel “engaged in a nasty public battle that lasted beyond the U.S. Open.” Instead of negotiating a deal together, Cablevision joined the NCTC, a group of about 1,000 cable operators whose "long-term contract with the network allowed it to be placed on sports tiers." A new contract mandates that the cooperative’s members "carry the Tennis Channel on digital basic, or not at all." Solomon is "hoping that Cablevision will comply with the new contract." But he said, “I’m not confident it will happen.” Cablevision in a statement said it was "hopeful that there will be a new agreement or an extended one" with the Tennis Channel. The company added, “Under any scenario, Cablevision customers will see every important U.S. Open match on ESPN2, CBS and through the considerable online offerings of the USTA.” Time Warner Cable and Comcast also carry the Tennis Channel “on a sports tier.” The FCC last month gave the Tennis Channel “reason to be hopeful by recommending that Comcast give the Tennis Channel much wider carriage that would equal what it gives to the two networks it owns, the Golf Channel and Versus” (N.Y. TIMES, 8/23).