U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Monday that communications giant Comcast and the network that carries New York Yankees games should use an opening-day rainout to find a compromise so loyal fans in Connecticut can follow their team on the regional sports channel this season.

Blumenthal, who spoke last weekend with officials from Comcast and the YES Network, urged both sides to resolve a dispute that will block as many as 83 towns in Connecticut from viewing Yankees games. Comcast shut down its affiliation with YES in November when the sports network hiked its fees by 33 percent, though Frontier Communications still carries the channel in Connecticut.

"I share the frustration with the thousands of Yankees fans who are blacked out from watching their team play," Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement Monday. "With rain postponing today's Opening Day game, Comcast and YES should use this extra day to put consumers first and return to the negotiating table."

Blumenthal and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., had previously released a letter to the companies that urged a resolution and stated that consumers should get a refund for the loss of the network if a deal cannot be negotiated.

"For companies of this size – and profitability – to be putting consumers in this position does a disservice to the men and women who faithfully paid their cable bills," Blumenthal said.

Comcast, however, has maintained that the YES Network is one of many that have increased their prices in recent years. The company said in a statement issued through its website www.comcastfacts.com that programming costs industrywide have increased 29 percent since 2012, while Comcast's average price increase last year was 3.4 percent.

"We’ve been working hard to minimize the impact of price increases and to enhance the value of the programming we’re providing," said Comcast, which has been running regular TV advertising to bolster its position among subscribers. "That’s why holding the line with the YES Network is so important."

YES, for its part, has shot salvos at Comcast, saying that the company is depriving its customers of Yankees games and that the issue is not about price since the rate this year is the same that the company paid last year. It directed Comcast customers to call 1-800-8-KEEP-YES to find television providers that carry the network.

"Comcast dropped the Yankees, falsely claiming viewership for the games was 'minimal' and that it was trying to protect its customers from high programming costs," YES said in a website it set up, www.keepyesnetwork.com. "In fact, Comcast has actually raised rates since taking away the Yankees, whose games are among the most-watched programs in the New York region."

Before Comcast dropped YES, Metrocast Communications caused a stir by doing the same in 2014. The company has since been acquired by Atlantic Broadband, which also does not carry the network, according to an online listing provided by YES.

Groton-based Thames Valley Communications, which provides television service to several communities east of the Thames River, is among the companies hoping to cash in on Comcast's decision to not run YES programming. Alexa Shelton, marketing manager for Thames Valley, said the company has been getting the word out to potential customers through direct mail and other means in a "Yes, we have YES" campaign.

"We've certainly seen a surge in phone calls and in sales," Shelton said, especially among die-hard fans.

Frontier, meanwhile, said it has made gains in its TV-subscription battle with Comcast by continuing to provide YES Network programming. The Connecticut-based company, which bought up AT&T's landline and u-Verse businesses two years ago, has launched a "say YES" campaign with a website, FrontierCT.com/YES, devoted to converting customers.

“Connecticut fans don’t have to miss any of the action this season – we’ll provide it all, as we always have on the YES Network,” said Paul Quick, senior vice president and general manager for Frontier in Connecticut, in a statement.

l.howard@theday.com