After more than four months of no live events from the four major professional sports leagues, cable customers may be in line for some givebacks. According to reports, Comcast Corp. is planning to refund its subscribers sports programming fees for cancelled games.
When sports were shut down in March, cable subscribers quickly began asking about refunds for cancelled games. TV providers such as Comcast pointed to the leagues, stating if they receive rebates from the NBA or Major League Baseball, a portion would be passed on to their customers.
In last week’s quarterly earnings call, Comcast CFO Mike Cavanagh stated he believes a refund is on the way. “We expect that we’ll be getting some money back from some of the sports leagues based on games played or not played in the US and when that does happen we, as we said, we’ll pass that back along to customers,” Cavanagh said, as noted by Cord Cutters News.
Cable subscribers pay as much as $20 per month in sports rights fees, which includes national networks such as ESPN and FOX Sports 1. Comcast’s refund will only reflect credits received from regional sports networks based on cancelled MLB games.
In April, New York’s Attorney General Letitia James put pressure on TV providers to give rebates to customers for cancelled sporting events. Comcast is the first major cable company to follow suit. Networks pay sports rights fees, cable companies are paying networks and subscribers are paying cable companies. According to James, cable customers shouldn’t be charged for sports they’re not receiving.
“At a time when so many New Yorkers have lost their jobs and are struggling, it is grossly unfair that cable and satellite television providers would continue to charge fees for services they are not even providing,” Attorney General James said three months ago. “These companies must step up and immediately propose plans to cut charges and provide much needed financial relief. This crisis has brought new economic anxiety for all New Yorkers, and I will continue to protect the wallets of working people at every turn.”
Comcast now has a FAQ page on their website, explaining that they’re working with RSN’s to get credits that can be passed along to their customers.
Can I get credited for the Regional Sports Network Fee on my bill since live sports haven’t been available?
We’ve been working with the regional sports networks to secure refunds for the sports network costs wherever possible. If a regional sports network in your market refunds us and you paid the fee during the relevant time period, then we’ll pass 100% of what we receive onto you as a courtesy adjustment on your bill.
We will be notifying customers if they’re eligible for a refund for games missed between April and June. We’ll also continue to advocate for more refunds throughout the rest of the year.
Who is eligible for a credit adjustment on their bill?
You may be eligible if you are in a market where the regional sports network costs are refunded to Xfinity.
When would I see a courtesy adjustment on my bill?
The timing of any courtesy adjustment is dependent on when we get refunds from the regional sports networks. We’ll make sure to keep you updated and notify you if your bill is adjusted.
The question remains if Comcast will be alone in issuing givebacks, or if the company will set precedent for other cable providers to do the same.
