Outlander season 4 and its place in the Starz – Optimum dispute

Outlander January 3, 2018

Are there issues facing Outlander season 4 airing for the largest possible audience this fall? In theory yes, and much of that is coming courtesy of a carriage dispute going on at the moment between New York area provider Optimum (whose parent company is Altice) and Starz. At the start of the year Optimum dropped all Starz programming, and attempted to replace it with other networks that supposedly provide some sort of value to their customers. (Key word here: Supposedly.)

So how worried should Outlander fans be? Is it going to impact the airing of the show for them? It’s something to be aware of, but also not something that CarterMatt feels you should be sweating over right now.

For starters, it’s January 3, and more than likely Outlander season 4 is more than nine months away from premiering. (We shudder to even think about having to wait that long to get more of the show.) While this carriage dispute seems especially testy, this is far from the first one of these we’ve seen over the past few years. They all work out to be the same — the network proclaims that the cable/satellite provider is being cruel to its customers, whereas the provider claims that the network is charging an unreasonable rate in order to license its content. Starz has a case right now that it has a greater value than ever — in addition to Outlander, it also has the enormously-successful Power plus also American Gods. We have high hopes for Counterpart later this month based on its cast led by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons.

Related – What are Caitriona Balfe’s Golden Globe odds?

The longest that we’ve seen a carriage dispute go on between a provider and a network, (at least in recent memory) was a few years back with AMC in one corner and Dish in the other. Part of The Walking Dead was missed because of it, but this went on for about three months before there was a resolution. This one would have to last three times as long before Optimum subscribers who only watch Starz for Outlander would have to worry.

If for some reason Optimum doesn’t pick up Starz, there are other ways to buy a subscription a la carte. There are enough other solutions to this problem, but it’s a problem that will likely be resolved once Optimum starts feeling real pressure. Given that Starz doesn’t have any huge original programming over the next two weeks there’s a little less of an incentive for anything to get done.

Rest assured that we’re going to provide some more updates as they start to surface.

Related – Three times an Outlander renewal could be announced

Before you go, we of course welcome your thoughts on this story in the comments! Also, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook if you do want to score some additional Outlander updates. (Photo: Starz.)

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6 Comments

Caroline Venezia
January 8, 2018 @ 4:54 pm

I think Starz is as much as fault as Optimum…we have watched 3 seasons through Optimum and now you decide you are not making enough money. It stinks. You stink and so does Optimum. Work it out or Outlander will see many less in it’s viewership.
Caroline Venezia
January 8, 2018 @ 4:54 pm

I think Starz is as much as fault as Optimum…we have watched 3 seasons through Optimum and now you decide you are not making enough money. It stinks. You stink and so does Optimum. Work it out or Outlander will see many less in it’s viewership.
Diane Cala Hershkowitz
January 5, 2018 @ 12:25 am

I’m not happy that Optimum removed Starz. I hope especially enjoy watching the Outlander series and other shows on Starz. Please reconsider and add it back in the expensive silver package I now subscribe to and expect to keep watching the series I started.
Janet Ewaskiewicz
January 4, 2018 @ 9:34 pm

At a time when people are cutting the cable cord left and right and turning to Roku and similar devices to obtain their programming, Optimum is frankly showing a total lack of sense in this situation. I’m their customer for now, but it this fight goes on past the end of the Winter Olympics, my family is going to cancel Cablevision and Optimum and go with other ways to get our TV, Internet, and telephone service. Yup. I’ll give up three services, not just cable. I’m already looking into the alternatives.

When I called Optimum to complain, they gave me an address which I could use to complain in writing (which is usually more powerful than phone calls). That address is: Optimum; 6 Corporate Center Drive, Melville, NY 11747. In case anyone else cares to write to complain….
Jill Martin
January 4, 2018 @ 1:55 am

This sort of corporate testosterone-fueled posturing seldom proves beneficial to the customer . . . it inevitably tickles down to the consumer regardless of who wins. What really raises my hackles is the sudden increase in one’s monthly bill — what — they think we don’t notice? That’s the reason I nevva sign up for auto pay of anything! If Optimum doesn’t reinstate Starz — especially in light of the concerted outcry nationwide, they deserve to lose their customers. I would 86 them faster than they could increase my bill. [that’s FAST!]
Jeannie Dietsche
January 4, 2018 @ 1:36 am

New York is turning into a totally political world doing things not for the people of NY but for a pre-planned result. The fans of Starz will stream through Roku, Amazon or other means. I say that because I did it and I know of others also. Starz needs to walk away and not worry about this. The fans of Starz won’t let them down.