Verizon, Cox Media Group carriage dispute puts Steelers fans in doubt of watching Week 18 vs. Ravens

A carriage dispute between Verizon and Cox Media Group could lead to some Pittsburgh Steelers fans missing the Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Cox owns the Pittsburgh-based WPXI-NBC, and the dispute “has left FIOS TV customers without NBC,” per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Sports Business Journal). The previous agreement expired on Dec. 15, and if a deal is not reached when the Steelers vs. Ravens game kicks off on Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET, some Steelers fans who are FIOS customers will have to find other options to watch the contest.

“WPXI-TV is proud of our commitment to investing in high-quality local news and investigative journalism. The latest actions of Verizon/Fios threaten those investments and hurt consumers who rely on us for local news, weather, and a robust slate of sports and other popular entertainment programming,” Kevin Hayes, Vice President and General Manager, WPXI-TV, said in a statement earlier this month. “Verizon/Fios should stop holding its own customers hostage in its attempts to harm local journalism and community service, all while it tries to get even larger at the expense of our loyal viewers.”

WPXI is still available on other cable and streaming services in the Pittsburgh area. Additionally, the game will be available on Peacock.

Steelers and Ravens are playing for the AFC North

Sunday’s game is big for both teams because the winner becomes the AFC North champions and clinches a spot in the playoffs. The Steelers are looking to reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season and claim their first division title since the 2020 season.

“It’s obviously a big game Sunday night, so we’ve got to do whatever it takes,” Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth said on Monday, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “We’ve got to do whatever it takes to beat the Ravens. So, we’ve got to take the stuff that we did last game and in years past.”

If the Steelers win on Sunday night, they will host a playoff game the following weekend. Pittsburgh is looking to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2010 season. The last time the Steelers won the championship game was during the 2008 season.