Local News

Verizon offers refunds as Fox blackout drags on

Customers in Boston and Providence have been without their local Fox station for more than a month, missing key New England Patriots games.

The Verizon logo on a storefront in Boston. Michael Dwyer / AP, File

updated on January 27, 2026

2 minutes to read

Verizon Fios says it will offer refunds to customers in the Boston, Providence, and Pittsburgh markets who have gone more than a month without key channels — including Fox’s NFL broadcasts — because of an ongoing carriage dispute with Cox Media Group.

According to a statement from Verizon on Monday, the company is issuing a $10.99 credit to cover the costs of other platforms and services, where the content on the blackout channels is available. Customers will receive further communication this week on how to redeem it.

“Verizon has exhausted all options to get Cox to play fair on behalf of our customers,” a statement from the company said.

The credit is “to show affected customers we have their back,” the statement said.

The contract dispute between Verizon Fios and Cox Media Group, which cut off some Fox and NBC programming for Fios customers in Boston, Providence, and Pittsburgh, began on Dec. 15, impacting thousands of people.

Customers in Boston and Providence lost access to WFXT or the Fox, Charge!, and Laff channels, while those in Pittsburgh lost access to WPXI channels, including NBC, meTV, Laff, and Pittsburgh Cable News Channel.

Both Verizon Fios and Cox Media Group have blamed each other for the ongoing contract dispute, with Verizon saying Cox is asking for an unreasonably high price. In contrast, Cox says Verizon has refused multiple fair market offers.

The outage has prompted customers to find alternative ways to watch the Patriots’ games, including through a local app. The blackout has disrupted key matches on the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

In a Boston 25 News and Cox Media Group joint release on Friday, the companies said that Verizon is “charging and pocketing their money while depriving them of vital news, weather and must-see sports.”

“Verizon/Fios should stop holding local consumers hostage as part of its anti-consumer agenda and attempts to get even larger at the expense of our loyal viewers,” Todd Brow, VP-GM of Boston 25, said.

In response to Friday’s message, Verizon held firm in its statement on Monday.

“We have negotiated many deals with companies like Cox this year and successfully closed all of them by putting the customer first, and without any disturbance to their programming,” Verizon’s statement said. “Cox refuses to make meaningful movement to ensure that Verizon customers are able to get their location stations at a reasonable market rate.”