LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.—Altice USA announced it will change its corporate name to Optimum Communications Inc., effective Nov. 7. The company will cease trading under New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol “ATUS” and begin trading under the new symbol “OPTU” on Nov. 19.

The name change means that the company’s operating brand Optimum, which it has used for its video, broadband and other products, will now become the company’s official corporate name. Other cable operators, such as Comcast, which operates under the Xfinity brand, and Charter Communications, which uses Spectrum branding, have kept those separate.

“This is more than a name change—it’s a reflection of who we are and where we are going,” Optimum Chairman and CEO Dennis Mathew said. “As we accelerate our transformation and deepen our commitment to our customers, employees, and communities, aligning our corporate identity with the strong Optimum brand underscores our focus on simplicity, performance and purpose. It’s an incredibly exciting time for the organization as it enters its next chapter as one unified Optimum.”

There will be no change to the company’s CUSIP, a 9-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies registered securities, in connection with the name and ticker symbol changes, the company said. In addition, the name and ticker symbol changes won’t affect the company’s ownership structure, leadership, services or day-to-day operations.

NEW YORK—In another example of how pay TV operators are looking to strengthen their bundled offerings by adding streaming services, Altice USA’s Optimum has launched a new bundled streaming offer for customers. As part of the offer, eligible video and internet customers will be provided with a promotional offer of six complimentary months of the Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic as a new add-on.

The new bundled streaming offer is scheduled to be available this week to eligible Optimum Extra TV, Everything TV, and Optimum Internet customers, giving them the ability to seamlessly subscribe to their favorite streaming content from the Disney+ and Hulu services directly through Optimum

Optimum noted that this offer is the first of many that the company plans to bring to customers, providing them with the ability to subscribe to more streaming and consumer subscription services directly as part of their Optimum bill.

“We know that our customers want more optionality when it comes to their connectivity and entertainment services, which is why we are excited to collaborate with Disney to deliver a new bundled offer that helps streamline consumers’ Optimum services and their streaming subscriptions,” said Mike Parker, president of Consumer Services at Optimum. “As we continue to enhance and evolve our bundle offerings and add-on experience suite, we are enabling customers to build their own curated content selection through Optimum – giving them more choice, flexibility and value to watch the content they want, how they want it.”

Optimum and MSG announced on Friday that they had reached a new carriage agreement, ending a standoff that lasted almost two months.

The cable TV service, which is owned by Altice USA and has about 4.7 million customers in 21 states, dropped MSG and MSG Sportsnet channels, home to the New York Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and New Jersey Devils at the end of December when its contract with MSG Networks expired after the two sides reached a stalemate over carriage fees.

At the time, MSG stressed that it “offered Altice the same fair and reasonable terms that other major providers accepted,” but that Altice “is trying to charge their customers more and give them less,”

One analyst at the time, predicted that the dispute could push MSG into bankruptcy, adding that he would “not expect a resolution anytime soon, if at all.”

MSG has faced serious financial difficulties in recent years, mirroring many of the same issues as other regional sports networks as major sports leagues sell more live sports rights to streaming services. Currently it is $829 million in debt.

The two sides issued the following statement on Friday night:

“MSG Networks and Optimum are pleased to announce they have reached an agreement for the relaunch of MSG Networks on Optimum video lineups. MSG Networks and Optimum would like to thank everyone for their patience as we partnered to reach this new agreement to benefit our fans and Optimum subscribers. Specific terms of the agreement were not released.”

NEW YORK—Altice USA’s Optimum brand has announced major network upgrade plans that will enable the provider of fiber internet, mobile, and TV services to offer multi-gigabit internet speeds across 65% of its service footprint by 2028. This will double the availability of multi-gigabit speeds over the next three years.

In announcing the upgrade plans, the company also announced that it has reached a significant milestone with its Optimum Fiber internet service now available in 3 million passings (i.e. homes and businesses who could sign up for its services.) That represents around 30% of the company’s footprint. Most of the homes are in the New York tri-state area.

The company also reported that it is focused on the continued expansion of its network, with plans to add an additional 175,000 passings in 2025, the majority of which will be fiber.

"Optimum is committed to empowering residents and businesses with the fast, reliable internet services they need to thrive in a digital-first world,” said Nate Edwards, executive vice president, network services at Optimum. “By investing in our network, boosting multi-gig speeds, and expanding fiber internet access, we’re not just creating a faster connection—we’re paving the way for innovation and growth for our customers.”

This expansion includes the introduction of mid-split upgrades across areas of the company’s hybrid fiber coaxial network, enabling download speeds of up to 2 Gbps downstream, as well as the continued extension of Optimum’s fiber network, which delivers symmetrical speeds of up to 8 Gbps. These ultra-fast speeds are designed to meet the growing demands of modern households and businesses, supporting activities such as 4K/8K streaming, cloud gaming, remote work, and the proliferation of smart home devices.

For more information on Optimum, visit optimum.com.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has called on Altice USA and MSG Networks to settle their ongoing carriage dispute and directed the state’s Department of Public Service (DPS) to push to end the sports networks’ blackouts and get refunds to consumers.

The MSG and MSGSN sports networks were dropped from Altice USA’s Optimum-branded pay TV offerings after the operator and MSGN were unable to reach a new carriage deal when the old one expired on Dec. 31. The blackout means Altice’s Optimum subscribers have lost access to New York Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and New Jersey Devils games. Key sticking points in the dispute are the cost of the networks and flexibility as to how they are packaged for consumers.

In a letter to Altice USA , DPS said the operator is required to respond to the letter within five days detailing the specific steps it will take to ensure customers are held harmless during the dispute. If Altice fails to provide a satisfactory plan, DPS said it will initiate public hearings where itwill be required to publicly explain how it is protecting affected customers as part of the department’s ongoing review of the matter.

“New Yorkers are proud sports fanatics, and blocking Knicks, Rangers and Islanders fans from watching programming they’ve paid to watch is simply unconscionable,” Hochul said. “Denying fans access to live sports because of a ridiculous dispute between Optimum and MSG is unfair to New Yorkers and our patience has expired. This has gone on for long enough — it’s time for both sides to get back to the negotiating table and resolve this for the good of New Yorkers. Enough is enough!”

In a statement, MSG Networks said: “We applaud Governor Hochul’s engagement and ensuring local sports fans have access to MSG Networks’ programming. We remain ready to negotiate with Optimum or enter binding arbitration to immediately bring our games back on the air.”

Altice USA supplied this statement: “We agree with Governor Hochul that local sports fans who want MSG Networks' content should have access to it, which is why we were asking MSG to reach a deal for our customers who want it. In the meantime, we have been making sure our customers don’t miss a game, spending millions of dollars to help sports fans and non-sports fans alike. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul to fix the outdated programming model that does not align with how consumers watch TV today. In the meantime, while we help customers with options, MSG Networks has done nothing to make their content more affordable and has made no effort to assist impacted fans.”

Recently, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin sent a letter to Altice USA urging the cable operator to quickly resolve the dispute. The attorneys general also demanded automatic refunds for customers who have been denied access to the MSG regional sports channels they paid for as part of their Optimum cable plans. The letter noted that some refunds or credits had been made but were not universally given out to subscribers.

Altice's response to those letters can be found here.

NEW YORK—New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin have sent a letter to Altice USA urging the cable operator to quickly resolve contract negotiations with MSG Networks.

The attorneys general also demanded automatic refunds for customers who have been denied access to the MSG regional sports channels they paid for as part of their Optimum cable plans. The letter noted that some refunds or credits had been made but were not universally given out to subscribers.

The MSG and MSGSN networks have been blacked out on Altice-ownd Optimum cable systems since Jan. 1, when the two sides were unable to reach a new carriage deal. Key sticking points are pricing and whether the networks need to be part of large programming packages. The two New York City-area channels broadcast games from the NBA’s Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers, Islanders and New Jersey Devils.

“New York sports fans are being put in the penalty box, forced to shell out their hard-earned money for television channels they cannot even watch,” James said. “Optimum customers have paid for channels to watch their home sports teams, but their cable company is not offering these channels while charging them anyway. I am determined to secure a solution for New Yorkers who have had to endure these unfair blackouts and I urge Optimum and MSG to finally reach a deal so New Yorkers can watch their home teams.”

Added Tong: “Optimum and MSG need to stop the posturing and get back to the table. Figure it out and let us watch our sports in peace. In the meantime, consumers are paying for sports they can’t watch and they are owed immediate refunds without hassle.”

The full letter is available here. The letter did not lay out specific details on what legal action the attorneys general could take or might be authorized to take under state or federal laws if the dispute is not resolved.

MSG Networks issued a statement saying: “We applaud the Attorneys General in demanding Altice do right by its subscribers and either issue a full refund or immediately reach an agreement to return MSG Networks to Optimum subscribers.”

In response, Altice USA noted that “since January 1, Optimum has been focused on limiting customer disruption by proactively engaging with customers to provide personalized assistance and alternative solutions for sports fans and non-sports fans alike. From press releases and social media campaigns to customer emails and educational videos, we have been vocal about the options we have available — from helping to offset the cost of Gotham Sports or Fubo to transitioning customers to new video offerings that save them an average of $25/month."

The operator reported that customers are encouraged to call the company and htat more information is available at optimum.com/msg. 

Altice also stressed that the the dispute is part of larger issues in the pay TV and video landscape, particularly high prices and large programming bundles, that have encouraged cord cutting.

"As we have repeatedly said, the legacy video model is broken because distributors like Optimum continue to be handcuffed by programmers like MSG Networks who demand we make their content available to the majority of customers, regardless of actual viewer interest," the statement said. "It is this antiquated model, one that forces high fees and minimum penetration rates, that continues to drive up the costs of legacy video packages and gives distributors like us little flexibility to adjust prices – especially in an evolving TV landscape where consumers now have more choice than ever before."

:We agree that our customers need affordable, practical options now, which is why we launched more affordable packages that are made possible thanks to programmers who are willing to partner with us in new ways that address customer needs," the company concluded. "This is also why we’re advocating for our customers and pushing back on MSG’s approach."

IRVING, Texas, and NEW YORK—After exchanging increasingly pointed barbs in recent weeks, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. and Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) reached a new distribution agreement that immediately restored all Nexstar stations and programming to Altice USA’s Optimum TV customers on Jan. 18.

Nexstar stations and its cable news network NewsNation were dropped from the Optimum lineup on Jan. 10 after the parties were unable to reach a new deal. The blackout involved 63 Nexstar-owned stations in 42 markets and NewsNation on cable systems owned by Altice around the country.

As usual in these agreements, financial terms were not disclosed.

CHARLESTON, W. Va.—After a multi-year investigation, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has reached a $119.5 million settlement with Altice USA to resolve thousands of consumer complaints about the company’s quality of service in the state.

The company entered into an "Assurance of Voluntary Compliance" with the state on Friday, Jan. 10 without admitting that any of its prior practices violated West Virginia’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act.

The Attorney General’s Office has been investigating Altice—which operates through several subsidiaries in West Virginia under the former Suddenlink and current Optimum brands—since 2021. The complaints were related to its internet services sold to West Virginia consumers and involves customer care issues including billing and technician visits among many others.

The Attorney General’s Office received more than 2,300 complaints about a variety of issues from consumers from 2020 to 2023.

Much of the monetary costs detailed by the AG in settlement involves investments that Altice has made ($75 million in past investments) or has promised to make ($40 million in future investments) to improve its network.

“This is years in the making and a big win for the consumers in West Virginia,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “My office worked tirelessly to resolve this to ensure consumers in the state receive the service from providers they deserve.”

Separately, in 2022, the Public Service Commission in West Virginia slapped Suddelink Communications with a $2.2 million fine, finding that it ignored thousands of customer complaints, reduced the number of full-time employees, intentionally reduced its maintenance work and budget, and changed its method of communicating with customers.

The AG’s office reported that since it initiated its investigation, Altice has or will agree to invest a total of $119.5 million to West Virginia to resolve the AG’s investigation without litigation: The settlement includes these features:

• $75 million in investments in the state since 2021
• $40 million in investments for 2025-2027
• $4 million in consumer credits
• $500,000 payment to the state
• AG’s settlement comes on top of PSC fine of $2.2 million in 2022.
• Altice’s investments will improve the Internet infrastructure allowing residential customers in its entire service area to receive Internet speeds of up to 1 Gig download/100 Mbps upload.
• Altice will complete the infrastructure upgrades and build out by the end of December 2027.
• If Altice does not complete the upgrade project by the end of December 2027, it faces fines up to an additional $40 million.
• The company entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the state on Friday without admitting that any of its prior practices violated West Virginia’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act.

The settlement includes the company’s capital investment in the state to address the AG’s Office’s concerns; build and upgrade their infrastructure in numerous counties.

Current residential customers who fall into the categories listed in the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance will receive credits on their accounts in the amount of $25 each, totaling about $4 million. Former customers can submit a claim that will be evaluated for eligibility for a cash refund.

Optimum agrees to build out its current hybrid coaxial/fiber internet system to allow all its residential customers to obtain 1 Gig download speeds with 100 Mbps upload speeds. The company expects to spend about $40 million on the upgrades and will have the projects completed by the end of December 2027.

A copy of the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance is available here.

NEW YORK—Altice USA has sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission complaining about Nexstar’s handling of retransmission consent negotiations, which recently led to a blackout of 63 Nexstar stations in 42 of the cable operator’s Optimum markets.

In the letter, Optimum complained Nexstar was “demanding exorbitant rate increases,” forcing it to “pay for less popular programming” and was violating a 2024 FCC order by handling retransmission-consent negotiations for WPIX New York. Nexstar operates Mission Broadcasting-owned WPIX under a local management agreement.

“As the Commission is well aware, in March of 2024, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and proposed a $1.8M fine against Nexstar, for taking de facto control of WPIX, the CW affiliate in New York, resulting in a violation of Section 310(d) of the Act through an unauthorized transfer of control, and a violation of the national television ownership cap,” the letter complained. “Altice, therefore, sought to negotiate with Mission Broadcasting, WPIX’s owner, for carriage of the station. Mission, however, advised that Nexstar held the necessary rights to negotiate for WPIX. Nexstar has continued to insist that the FCC’s order was not applicable to the negotiations and that WPIX be included in the agreement, refusing Optimum’s requests to remove WPIX from these negotiations, in apparent disregard of the Commission’s clear directive. Nexstar further required that the Company agree to a contractual provision stating that WPIX would continue to be governed by the Nexstar agreement even after all FCC decisions were final, regardless of whether such decisions had been stayed, until all possible appeals had been concluded—effectively extending these rights for years after an adverse FCC decision. Such blatant disregard of FCC rules and orders should not be tolerated.”

The letter also contended: “Nexstar’s fee demands, if met, would be the highest of any broadcasting group carried on the Optimum lineup. Retransmission consent fees represent the fastest-growing portion of a customer’s TV bill, and Nexstar’s anti-consumer approach to these negotiations aligns with the broken traditional video model. Despite a shrinking cable subscriber base, broadcasters like Nexstar continue to abuse their retransmission consent rights to seek more money from fewer customers, instead of recognizing the evolution of the industry, as well as increasing fragmentation of viewership, in an effort to meet customer expectations and demands for choice and value.”

The full text of the letter can be found here.

In response to the Optimum letter, Nexstar sent TV Tech this statement: "Altice’s claims strain credulity considering their unilateral decision to walk away from negotiations and put their subscribers in the middle, just as they have done with their recent drop of MSG Network. This letter to the FCC is an intentional distraction from Altice’s unprecedented and anticompetitive demands designed to benefit Altice-owned News12 at the expense of PIX11’s proprietary news product. We encourage Altice to return to negotiating an end to this impasse promptly so that consumers can again enjoy the programming they love and for which they continue to pay Altice even today."

Earlier in response to the blackout, Nexstar has blamed Altice for the failed negotiations. “Altice has consistently made unreasonable and unprecedented demands of Nexstar, culminating with their decision to walk away from the negotiations,” Nexstar president and chief operating officer Michael Biard said. “Unfortunately, this seems to be a regular pattern of behavior for Altice, which dropped the MSG Network just last week, depriving millions of New York sports fans the opportunity to see their favorite teams in action. We understand the difficulty of Altice’s financial situation, burdened as it is by billions in debt, but the solution isn’t to force Optimum subscribers to continually pay more while getting less.”

TV Tech's reporting on the FCC's order regarding WPIX can be found here. Nexstar's response disputing the ruling can be found here.

IRVING, Texas—Following failed negotiations for a new retransmission consent agreement, 63 local TV stations in 42 markets owned by Nexstar Media Group were blacked out on Altice USA’s Optimum-branded cable systems around the country.

The blackout began at 5 p.m. on Jan. 10 and also included Nexstar’s national cable news network, NewsNation.

In an indication that Altice may be digging in for lengthy dispute, Optimum’s website offered its consumers a free trial and then 30% off their first two months to the vMVPD Fubo. It also provided detailed viewing options for accessing other upcoming football games.

Following the impasse both sides traded barbs.

“Altice has consistently made unreasonable and unprecedented demands of Nexstar, culminating with their decision to walk away from the negotiations,” Nexstar president and chief operating officer Michael Biard said. “Unfortunately, this seems to be a regular pattern of behavior for Altice, which dropped the MSG Network just last week, depriving millions of New York sports fans the opportunity to see their favorite teams in action. We understand the difficulty of Altice’s financial situation, burdened as it is by billions in debt, but the solution isn’t to force Optimum subscribers to continually pay more while getting less.”

In response, Altice USA said that Optimum offered an extension to keep Nexstar’s content on the air while they continued to negotiate, but the broadcaster refused.

“Unfortunately, Nexstar is using an anti-consumer negotiation tactic—tying local channels to less popular ones—requiring Optimum and its customers to pay for channels like NewsNation, which has essentially no viewership, in order to continue carrying Nexstar broadcast stations in various markets across the country,” an Altice statement said. “To illustrate the absurdity of this demand, we note that in any given month, 90% of customers—more than 1.2 million—never tune in to NewsNation, making it unfair to force customers to pay tens of millions of dollars for content they never watch and hold them hostage to force carriage of broadcast stations. Despite NewsNation’s shockingly low viewership, Nexstar has taken this one step further by demanding expanded distribution of the channel to hundreds of thousands more customers, requiring that even more customers who don’t watch it are made to pay for it.”

“Plus, Nexstar is demanding exorbitant rates, the highest of any broadcasting group, the statement added. “Nexstar’s ‘all or nothing’ approach of price-gouging customers by forcing them to pay for content they don’t want and bundling different stations and channels together into the same negotiations—despite their varied programming and audiences across different states—is in no one’s best interest but their own.

“We remain open to continued negotiations with Nexstar to reach a fair new deal to restore their programming on Optimum TV lineups,” the statement concluded. “In the meantime, customers who are looking to watch Nexstar-owned content can continue to do so for free over the air with an antenna or visit www.optimum.com/nexstar to learn more about the solutions Optimum is making available.”

With cord-cutting and the decline of the pay TV industry already wreaking havoc on regional sports networks, analysts at Lightshed Partners say the blackout of MSG Networks on Altice USA’s Optimium systems could push MSG Networks into bankruptcy, making it the latest casualty of declining RSN ecosystem.

“We do not expect a resolution anytime soon, if at all,” of the MSGN blackout that began on Jan. 1, analysts Brandon Ross, Richard Greenfield and Mark Kelley wrote in a note to investors. “This could set off a bankruptcy for MSG Networks, which would have an impact on SPHR [Spere Entertainment, the parent company of MSGN], MSG Sports and the wider sports media ecosystem.”

Altice’s decision to drop the MSG and MSG Sportsnet channels is part of a wider trend across pay TV, “as RSN pricing became strongly divorced from viewership and MVPDs have become focused on video’s standalone profitability,” the analysts argued. “MSG Networks, at a cost of $10-plus per subscriber, has been one of the largest overearners. With alternatives such as Gotham Sports App (MSG+), there is little reason for distributors to lose money. Indeed, if you follow the QR code on MSG Networks Optimum feed, they suggest the Gotham app or Fubo (with a discount).”

The MSG and MSG Sportsnet networks carry games involving the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils to Optimum subscribers in the New York City market.

Altice has also been putting together new packages of content, pushing RSNs out of the bundle.

This puts MSGN in a difficult position, given that “MSGN has already been in workout with lenders on its debt, which was already due and MSGN cannot repay,“ the Lightshed analysts said. “Lenders are now facing a two-front war with Altice and Sphere (MSGN’s parent). Without Altice carrying MSGN, we estimate that segment becomes EBITDA breakeven leaving nothing for interest payments. Plus, we believe there is a renewal with Charter coming at the end of 2025. The result seems to be heading toward Chapter 11, even as Dolan has likely tried to avoid that scenario, hoping to work something out with his relationship banks.”

Bankruptcy would improve Sphere Entertainment’s balance sheet but would hurt MSG Sports in the near term, the analysts said.

The analysts also argue this will have a larger impact on the NBA, which has been looking to centralize local OTT rights. “The biggest impediment to that is the deals from some large-market teams, especially the Knicks and [Los Angeles] Lakers,” the analysts wrote. “Perhaps a MSGN bankruptcy could catalyze those ambitions.”

MSG Networks has been dropped from Altice USA’s Optimum-branded pay TV offerings after the operator and the regional sports provider were unable to reach a new carriage deal when the old one expired on Dec. 31.

The blackout means Altice’s Optimum subscribers have lost access to Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and Devils games carried locally on the MSG and MSG Sportsnet channels.

Key sticking points were the cost of the networks and flexibility as to how they are packaged for consumers. Like a number of other cable operators faced with rapidly declining video subscribers, Altice seeks a deal that would allow it to provide consumers with lower-cost programming options without some sports and package more expensive MSG programming separately.

Following the blackout both sides, as usual, traded barbs.

"As a last-ditch effort to save their struggling business at the expense of subscribers, Altice is trying to charge their customers more and give them less,” MSG Networks said in a statement. “They just raised prices—nearly 50% for current Optimum subscribers and 70% for new Optimum subscribers (after expiration of a promotional offer) for the package that had included MSG Networks—and cut access to the Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils and more on MSG Networks. We offered Altice a number of fair and reasonable proposals that called for Altice to pay us less than last year. Altice rejected all of them, including our offer to keep MSG Networks on the air while we continued to try to reach a deal. We remain ready to negotiate in good faith.”

MSG Networks also noted that the previous Optimum Core TV package—which included MSG, MSGSN and other sports channels—increased by nearly 50%, from $95 to $140 per month. Altice’s introduction of its new packages just a few weeks ago means that the most “affordable” new package that had “offered MSG Networks prior to the drop is $160/month—that is almost 70% more than what Optimum customers paid before,” MSG Networks said.

MSG Networks also stressed that it “offered Altice the same fair and reasonable terms that other major providers accepted.”

In response, Altice said in a statement: “We have a clear mission: provide the programming that our customers want and give it to them at an affordable price. The problem: MSG Networks demanded that we pay an exorbitant amount in fees to be able to carry its content AND that customers who don’t want the content—who are the majority—have to pay for it anyway. Now more than ever, especially in this economy, it is unfair for MSG Networks to demand more money from their Optimum viewers, especially when there are ways for fans to get games directly from MSG through other direct-to-consumer options.“

MSG’s content is available direct-to-consumer via the Gotham Sports app, a joint venture with the New York Yankees-owned RSN, YES Network.

“Despite this, Optimum offered to absorb their egregious price demands if we could package MSG Networks in a way that would give more flexibility and control to our customers, so that fans could continue to watch and pay for their content while nonviewers would not be forced to pay for what they don’t watch,” the statement continued. “MSG Networks said no and refused multiple offers from us to reach a deal.”

“It is no secret that viewership for regional sports networks has become increasingly fragmented across countless streaming platforms and services,” the statement also noted. “Yet MSG Networks continues to squeeze its viewers for more money to watch their content, refusing to evolve or deviate from a broken model that is outdated based on the evolution of the entertainment industry, is anti-consumer, and unsustainable in today’s programming landscape.”

NEW YORK—Altice USA’s Optimum pay TV operations and Gray Media have agreed to a multi-year extension of their retransmission consent agreement. 

The renewal enables Optimum TV customers to continue to enjoy programming on Gray’s broadcast television stations. 

Optimum TV markets with Gray stations include Connecticut, North Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Arkansas, West Virginia, California, Missouri, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, and Ohio. 

The extension also enables Optimum TV customers to continue to enjoy Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury games on Gray stations in their respective markets.

As usual in retrans deals, financial terms were not disclosed. 

NEW YORK—Altice USA’s Optimum is launching Entertainment TV, a new internet TV package of 80 plus channels for $30 a month that is available exclusively on Optimum Stream. 

Optimum Stream is a Android-powered streaming device offering access to streaming apps that is available to Optimum Internet customers. 

As part of the launch of Entertainment TV, the company said that it is expanding its Optimum Stream offering to nearly 1.5 million homes across markets in its West footprint, including Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas, with  further expansion planned for later this year. 

Optimum Stream is already available to all Optimum internet customers across the company’s service areas in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.  

Priced at $30/month, Entertainment TV features 80+ top-rated channels, including A&E, AMC, Comedy  Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Game Show Network, Great American Family, Hallmark,  HGTV, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TLC and We TV, available both live and On  Demand. 

It is only available through Optimum Stream. Entertainment TV customers will also have access to local news content from Optimum’s News 12 service.

The service does not include local TV channels, ESPN and other major providers of sports.  

“As we continue to expand the availability of Optimum Stream in markets across our footprint, we are thrilled to introduce Entertainment TV as a new low-cost, high-quality entertainment solution for  customers who are looking for a ‘sit back and relax’ viewing experience,” said Leroy Williams, chief  growth and innovation officer at Optimum. “Optimum is focused on providing superior customer experiences at every touchpoint – backed by a world-class network and product set – and putting our  customers at the center of everything we do. This launch demonstrates our commitment to further  enhancing the Optimum TV offering and bringing customers innovative TV packages that satisfy their  unique viewing habits. We know our customers want choice and flexibility, and Entertainment TV does  exactly that, providing an amazing option for the entertainment content customers want to watch, all at  a competitive price point.” 

For more information on Entertainment TV, Optimum Stream, and other offerings visit optimum.com/tv to check their availability.

NEW YORK—Altice USA’s Optimum brand has launched what it is billing as the largest rollout of a new 8 Gig symmetrical fiber internet service in the U.S. The service is available to more than 1.7 million residents and businesses across the company’s fiber footprint at launch and by year’s end, Optimum 8 Gig Fiber is expected to be available in areas that have more than 3 million homes and businesses. 

“After launching 2 and 5 Gig symmetrical Fiber Internet speeds last year, Optimum is pleased to have invested even further in our network and infrastructure to bring next level 8 Gig symmetrical internet speeds to our fiber footprint,” said Leroy Williams, chief growth officer, Optimum. “Optimum is now the nation’s largest 8 Gig Fiber Internet provider, and availability will continue to increase as we deploy fiber to more homes and businesses as we solidify our position as the connectivity provider of choice across all the communities we serve. We look forward to bringing these reliable and faster speeds, along with an enhanced customer experience, to meet our customers’ growing data needs today and into the future.”

Optimum said that the launch represents the largest deployment of 8 Gig internet speeds in the country and cements Optimum as the nation’s largest 8 Gig internet provider. Those speeds are four times faster than Verizon, 60% faster than Frontier, and 32 times faster than T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, the operator claimed. 

Backed by Optimum’s 100% Fiber Internet network, Optimum’s 8 Gig Fiber Internet offers 8 Gig symmetrical upload and download speeds to support data-intensive applications like AR/VR, gaming, graphic design, and video production, all while providing increased bandwidth that can simultaneously connect 100+ devices to the internet at once. The service is delivered directly into the home via the Optimum Fiber Gateway to enable fast, reliable WiFi in the home or business, with extenders available for extra coverage, the operator said. 

“Optimum’s Fiber is deployed using XGS-PON, an advanced technology that enables multi-gigabit symmetrical speeds and that is superior to the legacy GPON standard used by many other fiber providers,” said Pragash Pillai, chief technology and information officer, Optimum. “As we continue to bring faster, more reliable service to customers through this state-of-the-art technology, the strength of Optimum’s Fiber network goes unmatched.”

BETHPAGE, N.Y.—News12 has officially opened a new 40,000 square foot $20 million state of the art studio and newsroom. 

During a grand opening on May 1 with local businesses and political leaders, executives at Altice USA’s News12 operation said the project is a major $20 million investment into Long Island journalism. The build was part of a multi-year effort beginning in early 2020. 

"It just shows our commitment to local, hyperlocal news, to this community," Altice USA CEO Dennis Mathew said in a News12 story on the opening. "We have the best team. This shows that the best team should have the best state-of-the-art studio, and so we're excited."

Altice News senior vice president and chief content officer Kristin Malaspina explained that the upgraded space with larger monitors will enhance our visual storytelling.

"I'm so excited to be here and to open this new studio and continue to bring the best hyperlocal news coverage to the tri-state area," Malaspina said. 

Notable features in the studio include:

• Flash Camera for breaking news coverage.
• Multiple spacious Production Control Rooms with advanced automation and technology for high- quality broadcasts, graphics, weather and more. 
• Crew vehicles equipped with power inverters to enable the teams to work out of mobile “offices” from any of the News12 communities. This allows the team to shoot and edit news packages to go live to air within minutes.  
• Thunderbolt 12 mobile weather and storm tracking vehicle with live reporter capability. 
• Editing and Technical Operations Center with numerous fiber connections to pull in news feed, breaking news and video from across the region and nation. 
• Massive Broadcast Equipment Center featuring the latest news production technology and backup and redundant systems to ensure high quality video signals and continuity of broadcast in the case of a system failure.  
• Five broadcast studios of varying sizes.  These include a small Weather Hub studio, two midsize studios and two large studios which feature newly designed and modern sets. 
• The large studios consist of multiple large seamless monitor walls, an anchor desk, a working Weather Center, an Alert Center and additional monitor areas for Anchors to “walk and talk” as they deliver and visually illustrate local news coverage.    

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Adeia has announced that it has signed an early renewal agreement with Altice USA that extends the pay TV operator’s license of the Adeia's media intellectual property (IP) portfolio that supports Altice’s Optimum services, including their cable TV and over-the-top (OTT) streaming services. 

“We are pleased to announce this early renewal, which extends our long term relationship with Altice,” said Paul E. Davis, CEO of Adeia. “The US pay-TV market is among the most competitive environments in the world. Leaders in this segment, including Altice, are leveraging innovations that improve digital entertainment experiences to help consumers quickly, easily and intuitively find the content and services they want to enjoy,” 

With nearly five million residential and business customers across 21 states, including the New York City tri-state area, Altice is one of the largest broadband communications and video service providers in the United States. 

This agreement supports the latest generation of video service technologies and it ensures that Altice meets the high expectations of its customers for content quality and intuitive navigation, the companies said. 

“Adeia’s media IP portfolio offers pay-TV providers the opportunity to deliver consumers a truly personalized media experience by continuously advancing innovations that enhance the customer experience, including improvements for content discovery, search and recommendations, among many others,” said Davis.

 Adeia was spun off from Xperi last fall. 

NEW YORK—Altice USA’s Optimum has announced that 5 Gig and 2 Gig Fiber Internet services are now available across its Connecticut fiber footprint. 

The 5 Gig Fiber Internet is the fastest residential fiber internet service in the tri-state area with symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gig, which is more than twice as fast as speeds offered by competing fiber providers, the operator said. 

“Just in time for back to school, Optimum is pleased to bring its multi-gigabit fiber internet speeds to our Connecticut customers,” said Matt Grover, executive vice president of consumer and business services for Optimum. “Our 5 Gig and 2 Gig Fiber Internet offers speeds more than twice as fast as the competition, and we can’t wait for our Connecticut customers to begin experiencing the fastest fiber internet service in the tri-state area.”

Optimum's 5 Gig and 2 Gig Fiber Internet service is delivered over Optimum’s new 100% Fiber Internet network, which is available at more than 1.6 million addresses. The service offers symmetrical speeds, Altice reported. 

In addition, consumers can enjoy high resolution video streaming up to 8K and lower latency for an enhanced connectivity experience across multiple devices and for data-intensive online activities such as virtual reality applications, gaming, and more, the operator said. 

Optimum 5 Gig and 2 Gig Fiber Internet is also available across Optimum’s Long Island fiber footprint and will continue to roll out in phases across the company’s tri-state area fiber footprint.

For new customers, Optimum 5 Gig Fiber Internet is $180/month and 2 Gig Fiber Internet is $120/month. 

For more information on Optimum’s multi-gig speed tiers and other fiber offerings, visit Optimum.com/5Gig.

NEW YORK—Altice USA has announced that its Suddenlink brand has rebranded to Optimum, bringing the company’s telecommunications products and services under one unified brand across its entire footprint. 

With the rebranding, Optimum has also introduced a new nationwide brand campaign, “Get Closer, Go Farther” with a new look and feel, tagline, and mission, the company said.  

“Get closer and go farther. That’s our Optimum brand promise and what we aim to deliver to our customers through our connectivity services and experiences we offer,” said Matt Grover, executive vice president of consumer and business services, Optimum. “We are thrilled to launch this new campaign and officially bring our Suddenlink products and services under the Optimum brand, uniting our telecommunications division under one name, one voice, and one promise to customers to deliver the very best internet, TV, and mobile service to them every day.”

Starting today and throughout the months ahead, the company will transition Suddenlink properties and assets to Optimum, including vehicles, stores, websites, uniforms, and more.

The new tagline, “Get Closer, Go Farther” aims to demonstrate the promise to bring customers closer together than ever before with Optimum products and services so they can collectively go farther, now and into the future. 

Those product improvements for the future include: 

• The acceleration of the 100% Optimum Fiber Internet Network, recently reaching the milestone of 100,000 Fiber customers,
• The launch of Optimum 2 Gig and 5 Gig Fiber Internet, which delivers the fastest fiber internet speeds in the New York tri-state area,
• Removing data caps on all Suddenlink internet plans as part of the transition to Optimum,
• Elevating the customer experience through enhanced support, including opening nearly 20 new state-of-the-art Optimum retail stores across the country in recent months, and
• The award-winning Optimum Mobile service, which was recently ranked #1 in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

 The new campaign TV spots can be viewed here and here.  

NEW YORK—Ampersand has expanded its work with major cable and telecommunications companies Charter, Comcast, Cox and Altice by launching incremental reach capabilities powered by its AND Platform.

The AND Platform is a multiscreen TV planning, buying and measurement platform that was launched at the beginning of 2020. Ampersand is owned by Comcast Corporation, Charter Communications, Inc. and Cox Communications. 

Incremental reach on the AND Platform enables Ampersand's clients to use Charter, Comcast, Cox and Altice aggregated viewership insights to target households that have been un-exposed or under-exposed to a national TV campaign or to target specific regions that have been un/under-exposed with a multi-DMA heavy-up, the company said. 

"Marketers have historically shifted budgets to digital media to reach or bolster frequency for un-exposed and under-exposed traditional National TV viewers. Digital media alone is often inefficient and can add excess frequency to those already adequately reached via National TV," said Andrew Matero, Ampersand VP-Platform. "Ampersand solves this by offering incremental reach solutions across multi-screen TV inventory for every national advertiser to most efficiently increase reach enabled by scaled, deterministic data."

Ampersand has represented all of these providers for many years in the national spot marketplace, and in the last three years has expanded the partnerships to include national addressable. 

Ampersand also has the ability to use data insights across these television inventory owners to better plan, target, and measure their campaigns. 

The AND Platform accounts for the single largest source of TV inventory in the industry, encompassing linear, addressable and streaming TV inventory, providing marketers with reach across 80 million households, of which 52 million are addressable (more than 70% of all U.S. addressable households).

"Managing frequency on integrated campaigns has always provided challenges," said Altice president of news and advertising, Keith Bowen. "We are excited to complement our existing initiatives in this space with the AND platform as we continue to deliver our clients new product innovation and game-changing outcomes."

NEW YORK—Optimum, a brand of Altice USA, has announced that it will soon be offering Optimum 5 Gig Fiber Internet, a broadband tier that the company is billing as the fastest residential fiber internet service in the New York Tri-State area with symmetrical speeds up to 5 Gig. 

In addition to the new 5 Gig speed tier, Optimum is also introducing Optimum 2 Gig Fiber Internet, giving Optimum Fiber customers various multi-gig symmetrical speed options. 

The new 5 Gig and 2 Gig Optimum Fiber Internet tiers will launch in parts of Long Island beginning in June and roll out across the company’s entire tri-state fiber footprint by the end of 2022. 

The 5 Gig and 2 Gig Optimum Fiber Internet service is delivered over Optimum’s new 100% Fiber Internet network offering faster download speeds, greater reliability, and Smart WiFi 6 for greater whole home WiFi coverage. In addition, consumers can enjoy high resolution video streaming up to 8K and lower latency for an enhanced connectivity experience across multiple devices and for data-intensive online activities such as virtual reality applications, gaming, and more, the company reported. 

“As we continue to expand our new 100% Optimum Fiber Internet network across our footprint, we are pleased to bring the fastest residential fiber internet service to the tri-state area,” explained Altice USA CEO Dexter Goei. “Customers on our Optimum Fiber network are already enjoying fast, symmetrical speeds and a reliable connectivity experience, and we look forward to bringing even faster service with more bandwidth than ever before with our 5 Gig and 2 Gig Optimum Fiber Internet speeds.”

Optimum 5 Gig Fiber Internet will be available to new customers for $180/month and 2 Gig Fiber Internet will be priced at $120/month.

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON D.C.—Altice USA and T-Mobile have expanded a multi-year MVNO agreement through which T-Mobile will continue to serve as the nationwide network for Altice USA’s Optimum Mobile service.

The agreement comes at a time when mobile and broadband offerings and bundles have become increasingly important to cable operators. 

“As we continue to grow and evolve our Optimum Mobile service, we are pleased to reach a new agreement with T-Mobile that ensures our mobile customers will continue to benefit from T-Mobile’s nationwide network,” said Matt Marino, executive vice president of consumer services for Altice USA. “In addition to access to America’s largest 5G network, the agreement enables Optimum Mobile to provide more flexibility and value to our customers and, when coupled with our Optimum and Suddenlink broadband service, deliver a 360-degree seamless connectivity experience at home and on the go.” 

"We are excited to extend and expand our Altice USA partnership on the T-Mobile network with fast and reliable service to Altice USA’s Optimum Mobile subscribers,” said Daniel Thygesen, senior vice president of T-Mobile Wholesale. “By leveraging T-Mobile’s unparalleled network and platforms to serve Optimum Mobile subscribers, Altice USA remains the premier one-stop-shop for bundled mobile and broadband services for its subscribers."

Optimum Mobile offers three data plans – 1 GB, 3 GB, and Unlimited GB – all with unlimited talk and text and delivered over the T-Mobile network.

NEW YORK—ViacomCBS Inc. and Altice USA have announced a comprehensive agreement for the continued carriage of ViacomCBS’ broadcast, entertainment, news and sports networks on Altice USA’s Optimum and Suddenlink systems. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

In line with other recent carriage agreements announced by ViacomCBS, the deal also provides Altice USA with rights to ViacomCBS’ suite of streaming services, including Paramount+, Showtime OTT, Pluto TV, BET+ and Noggin.

Having such streaming services is increasingly important to operators like Altice as more of their customers drop traditional cable packages in favor of streaming services. 

“We are pleased to have reached a new multi-year agreement with our partners at Altice USA that underscores the strength of ViacomCBS’ brands and streaming services,” said Ray Hopkins, president, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “Altice USA through its Optimum and Suddenlink brands is an important partner and we look forward to continuously serving subscribers with our outstanding collection of content.”

Yossi Benchetrit, Altice USA’s chief programming and procurement officer, added: “As Altice USA continues to focus on providing our Optimum and Suddenlink customers with a robust array of content to meet their evolving entertainment needs, we are pleased to reach a new agreement with ViacomCBS that ensures the continued delivery of their networks plus added rights to the ViacomCBS streaming services portfolio.”

The companies also noted that they will continue to collaborate on addressable media and advanced advertising capabilities.

NEW YORK, N.Y.—News 12 New York has launched on the streaming service Pluto TV, making its news coverage from the tri-state region available on all devices and platforms that carry Pluto TV.

The launch expands Pluto TV’s extensive lineup of news channels, which already includes Altice News’ live streaming news network Cheddar News. 

“We are excited to continue Altice News’ partnership with Pluto TV in today’s launch of News 12 New York,” said Kristin Malaspina, senior vice president of marketing and partnerships at Altice News. “Now, more viewers than ever will be able to tune in to News 12’s award-winning content from across the country through Pluto TV’s extensive user base.”

Amy Kuessner, senior vice president, content strategy & global partnerships at ViacomCBS Streaming, which includes Pluto TV, added that “hyperlocal news is an important part of every community, and this partnership will provide Pluto TV’s tri-state viewers easy access to the most up-to-date information in their region for absolutely free.”

News 12 is owned and operated by Altice USA and is part of the Altice News group, which also includes national and business news from Cheddar News and the global and current affairs network i24NEWS.

NEW YORK—Cable operator Altice has notably ramped up its streaming efforts with the launch of a new streaming device that will give its broadband-only customers thousands of apps and streaming services on Google Play and over 50 free live streaming channels.

"As more consumers turn to streaming content for their entertainment needs, we are pleased to introduce Stream for our Optimum and Suddenlink broadband-only customers to bring a robust array of free, live, and subscription-based content right to their fingertips,” said Hakim Boubazine, president of telecommunications and chief operating officer. “Now, our broadband-only customers who prefer to stream content can simply rely on our new device for their favorite apps, news, and entertainment programming, and our 1 Gig customers get the benefit of receiving it free with their service.”   

In launching its own streaming device, Altice joins operators like Comcast who are offering broadband customers streaming devices and beefed up streaming offerings to strengthen their broadband business as more customers cut traditional pay TV services. 

The company noted that Optimum Stream and Suddenlink Stream will allow customers to streaming popular streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and Discovery+ that are preselected for easy set up; add thousands of apps available to download on Google Play; play 4K HDR and Dolby Vision content; voice search across live streaming TV and apps to find content; and stream live TV.

The 50 plus free live streaming channels available through the Optimum Stream and Suddenlink Stream apps include live news from News 12, i24NEWS and Cheddar News, children’s entertainment from Kabillion, lifestyle entertainment from Bon Appetit, Wired, and Reelz.

The Android-based devices use Google Assistant, allowing users to use voice commands to search for content, control their TV and smart devices, get answers to questions, plan their day, and more.

The new streaming device is available for free to Optimum and Suddenlink broadband-only customers who select 1 Gig service or the highest broadband speed available in their service area. It is available to all other Optimum and Suddenlink broadband-only customers for $5 per month. 

WASHINGTON—The NAB Show has penciled in another big name as a speaker, announcing Dexter Goei, Altice USA chairman and CEO, will present a keynote titled “Global Growth and the Future of Media.”

Goei will center the presentation on the opportunities global media companies bring to the American television market and how they can serve the diverse American audience. He will share how global companies are affecting decisions about content, products, new technologies and media, while improving and enhancing the customer’s experience.

A subsidiary of French-based Altice N.V., for which Goei serves as president of the board, Altice USA is a broadband communications and video service provider. Goei also leads Altice N.V.’s global M&A-related activities and handles the company’s overall strategic vision and growth in the U.S.

The “Global Growth and the Future of Media” keynote will take place on April 25 from noon to 12:30 p.m.