New York’s attorney general calls for cutting cable fees tied to live sports programming

New York’s top law enforcement officer asked the biggest cable and satellite television providers to cut or eliminate fees tied to live sports programming during the coronavirus pandemic, saying customers are being forced to pay for access to events that aren’t taking place.

The companies, including AT&T Inc. and Charter Communications Inc., should immediately propose plans to cut charges and provide financial relief to customers already financially strained by the crisis, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday in a statement.

“At a time when so many New Yorkers have lost their jobs and are struggling, it is grossly unfair that cable and satellite television providers would continue to charge fees for services they are not even providing,” James said.

In a letter she sent Tuesday, James asked the companies to look for ways to provide “appropriate refunds, discounts and reductions of charges and fees, payment deferrals, and waiver of termination fees, at least until live sports programming is resumed.”

AT&T and Charter didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the AG’s letter.

Shares of Altice USA and a batch of other cable and telecom industry stocks pared earlier gains after James’s calls for cuts.

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Mike Schur talks Parks and Recreation coronavirus episode
—Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is coming to Disney+ two months early
—Ricky Gervais on releasing After Life season two in a global pandemic
—Chris Hemsworth calls Extraction the “most exhausting” shoot of his career
—Hollywood artists are creating PPE for the medical community
Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.