Fox Networks Group is warning Charter customers that they could lose some cable networks in an impending blackout if the two companies can’t reach an agreement in their current carriage dispute.
“Fox and Charter have an agreement to carry the Fox networks that Charter has chosen to ignore,” Fox said in a statement on Thursday. “We’re disappointed that despite our best efforts to reach a resolution, Charter Spectrum subscribers could lose access to multiple Fox sports and entertainment networks on April 8.”
The company warned that as soon as this weekend, customers could lose access to cable channels including National Geographic, FX, and Fox Sports.
The statement continued, “Charter’s tactics could result in its subscribers missing our popular programming including Fox Sports’ telecasts of the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cincinnati Reds and many other MLB, NBA and NHL teams on Fox Regional Sports Networks, Fox Deportes, National Geographic, and FX’s hit dramas ‘The Americans’ and ‘Feud’ as well as much more award-winning programming.”
Fox Networks is in dispute with Charter following its acquisition of Time Warner Cable last year. Time Warner had previously been paying a lower rate to Fox — a rate that Charter is now paying — per an agreement that expired on March 31. Fox argues that the Charter’s refusal to pay the higher rates, negotiated with Charter before the acquisition, is a breach of contract.
“Fox is trying to gouge our customers using the increasingly common tactic of threats and removal of programming,” Charter said in a statement. “They are attempting to extort Charter for hundreds of millions of dollars. We will continue to work towards a fair agreement.”
Watch the ad Fox is showing to Charter customers below: