US: Comcast sued by Denver sports network for antitrust violation

Comcast was sued Monday, November 18, by Altitude Sports and Entertainment, a Denver-based channel that airs local sports, including Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets games, reported Bloomberg. The lawsuit, filed in Colorado district court, accuses the cable giant of using its market power to dictate terms to the network that would ultimately drive it out of business.

Altitude has been unavailable since August in Comcast homes in the Denver market and the 10-state Rocky Mountain area the channel normally reaches, as the two entities have been embroiled in a dispute over the carriage fee Comcast pays the network and how the channel is distributed.

Comcast is the dominant TV provider in Denver, providing service to more than half of homes, which, according to the lawsuit, gives it unusual market power in setting prices. At the same time, Comcast also owns several regional sports networks around the country, as well as the broadcasts rights to some sports that air in Denver, including the NHL, which airs on the Comcast-owned NBC family of networks.

Altitude reached a carriage agreement with DirecTV, owned by AT&T, last month, but has not struck a deal with Dish Network or Comcast.

In the meantime, Denver residents with cable through Comcast have not been able to watch the Avalanche of the NHL and the NBA’s Nuggets.

Full Content: Bloomberg

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