Scripps, Comcast in carriage dispute, channels yanked off air
Channels dropped in the middle of primetime
In the ultimate April Fools’ prank that really wasn’t, channels owned by Scripps were yanked off the air Tuesday evening from Comcast systems after their contract expired.
The move stunned Comcast subscribers, whose company uses the Xfinity name to brand their products. Channels were yanked during primetime; in one instance, during a Ottawa Senators-Florida Panthers game on Scripps-owned independent WSFL-TV in the Miami area, and WHDT in West Palm Beach.
Sixty Scripps channels were dropped. Scripps also owns the Ion network and its affiliate here, WCPX-TV (Channel 38). T Dog Media was unable to verify if the station was dropped by Xfinity systems here as this writer is not a subscriber (a Michigan media message board did confirm Ion programming on its main channel was still airing on Comcast systems in the Detroit area.) In 2020, Scripps said the main Ion network was a “must-carry” outlet on cable systems, meaning the company does not receive any retransmission payments for it.
Non-Ion Scripps stations in Detroit, Denver, and Baltimore were also impacted as Comcast is the dominant cable and broadband provider in those markets. The contract was to expire March 31 at midnight ET, but Scripps decided to pull the channels early, signaling any talks that were taking place weren’t producing any results.
“Scripps has been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that reflects this value and is fair for both parties and viewers,” the company said in a statement. “We hope Comcast recognizes the critical value we play for our communities and restores our stations’ signals so we can continue to serve their customers. Until then, Xfinity customers can still find our local news and sports programming for free over-the-air, on our station websites, streaming apps and on other locally available cable and satellite providers. Our mission is to connect our communities with accessible local news, weather, live sports and entertainment programming. Comcast’s tactics won’t change our commitment to that.”
According to Sports Media Watch, Scripps is asking Comcast to carry the local stations which owns rights to the NHL’s Utah Mammoth (KUPX), Tampa Bay Lightning (WXPX), and an unnamed future outlet for the Nashville Predators, whose rights are being taken over by Scripps this fall as a condition for carrying its stations across the country.
Scripps has a growing sports portfolio. In addition to the NHL teams for its local markets, Scripps’ Ion has rights to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and the recently-reupped WNBA, whose season kicks off May 5.
The impasse involving Comcast is unusual given the cable and broadband provider doesn’t get into these types of public disputes and yanks channels, unlike DirecTV, Dish, and YouTubeTV. Last year, Comcast was involved in a spat with YES over being shifted to a premium tier, which nearly deprived Yankees and Nets fans in the New Jersey and Connecticut portions of the New York City market to watch their games. Comcast temporarily dropped YES from its lineup in 2016.
Scripps purchased Ion in 2020, using the funds they received from their sale of WPIX New York, which they owned for only a few months. There is no word on when negotiations between Scripps and Comcast would continue or when the blackouts end.