TV Talk: Verizon's FiOS TV drops AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

In the latest retransmission dispute impacting local viewers, Verzion’s FiOS TV dropped AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

A Verizon spokesman said its agreement to carry AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh expired Sept. 30.

Verizon released a statement saying, “AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh has demanded a significant increase to an already high rate so fans can continue watching their channels. Additionally, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh is unwilling to provide a guarantee to fair market rates with respect to other distributors, including the ones they own.”

AT&T SportsNet, which Verizon had carried on Channel 76, 1525 and in HD on 576, televises Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates games. The NHL season is expected to begin as early as December or January.

Unlike some carriage disputes that pit media behemoths against one another in multiple markets, this one is smaller in nature: Pittsburgh is the only AT&T SportsNet market where Verizon has cable systems.

AT&T SportsNet representatives released a statement acknowledging Verizon removed the channel and Verizon customers’ access to Pirates and Penguins games and other regional sports programming.

“At this time, AT&T SportsNet does not wish to elaborate on the confidential terms of the negotiation,” the statement says, “but we will say that we strongly disagree with Verizon’s characterizations of those negotiations leading up to their decision.”

Over the summer AT&T SportsNet did secure carriage on AT&T TV and streaming option AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now), offering consumers OTT (“over the top”) delivery of AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, an alternative to traditional cable and satellite distribution services.