FiOS TV Meets the Mets

SportsNet New York agreed to play ball with Verizon Communications Inc., reaching a deal that will add the regional sports network to the telco's FiOS TV-subscribing homes by March 30.

The network -- which carries Major League Baseball games from the New York Mets and programming based on the National Football League’s New York Jets -- will be carried on channel 67 in Massapequa Park, Nyack and South Nyack, N.Y.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The deal was announced one day after Verizon filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission over allegations that Cablevision Systems Corp. -- the other major local-sports-rights holder in the market -- refused to negotiate network licensing agreements.

"This agreement with SportsNet New York shows how two companies can cooperate to offer quality sports programming ... to the homes of FiOS TV customers in the New York market," said Terry Denson, Verizon vice president of FiOS TV content strategy and acquisition.

SportsNet New York launched March 16. It is a partnership between Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, Time Warner Inc. and Comcast Corp.