Is the customer always right?

There are 1.7 million of us: New York state Time Warner Cable customers who can’t watch our favorite sports teams play anymore - legally, at least.

As I’ve said in this space before, I signed up for cable TV solely to watch Buffalo Sabres games. I shied away from satellite TV for more reasons than one, including the ongoing dispute between Madison Square Garden and Dish Network, which booted Dish Network sports fans off of their favorite channel more than a year ago. I was so proud of the fact that my poor, satellite-receiving friends could bunk out at my house on game nights and take advantage of my fabulous, high-definition sports channel.

Until Jan. 1. I, along with thousands of other Time Warner customers, was blindsided with the news that I would no longer be able to view those games anymore, due to MSG’s demand for a 53 percent increase in pay from Time Warner.

MSG has rights to New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New Jersey Islanders and Buffalo Sabres games. The network used to also broadcast New York Yankees and Mets games, but lost the rights to those to the YES Network several years ago. After eliminating at least 100 baseball games from its offerings, the network still did not go down in price; although the “New York Times” said that baseball games have much higher ratings than hockey and basketball, MSG still costs almost as much as the YES Network.

Of course, TWC and MSG both say it’s the other entity’s fault that I - and probably many of you - are not able to watch hockey and basketball games anymore. I don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong, but, as an outsider, I don’t understand why MSG is OK with not receiving the subscriber fees it would be getting right now from all of the local TWC and Dish Network customers.

According to the “Associated Press,” Time Warner Inc. is “one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.” Keeping on this entity’s good side makes sense - to me, at least!

MSG had originally asked TWC for a 6.5 percent raise and then, according to TWC officials, rescinded that request and demanded a hefty 53 percent increase and the requirement that TWC also pay to carry the highly unpopular MSG Fuse music channel, which 1/10 of 1 percent of TWC customers watched.

Guess what my options are? I can go ahead and risk incurring thousands of dollars’ worth of fees by watching games on a pirate website, pay to go to the games myself, travel to Buffalo to take part in a viewing party or

terminate my cable, which up until now I have had no problems with.

Or, I can let my voice be heard. I’ve gotten in touch with both Time Warner Cable and MSG to let them know how dissatisfied I am that I - the customer - have been caught in the middle of this ugly dispute. If you feel the same way, join me. MSG can be reached at 212-465-6741 or at msgnetpr@msgnetwork.com. Contact Time Warner at 888-892-2253 or buf.support@twcable.com.

Time Warner Cable Senior Vice President Mike Angus said, “Our customers have stood by MSG and its teams through thick and thin. Our customers have paid whether the teams won or lost. They deserve better.” As one of those customers, I couldn’t agree more.