Optimum boss catches Rangers game at MSG — while money dispute stops Optimum customers watching same game on TV

What the puck?

Athletics insiders were stunned to see one particular guest munching on a hot dog at Madison Square Garden for the Rangers game Tuesday night — the CEO of Altice, the company that owns cable provider Optimum… which isn’t airing Rangers games right now because of a bitter money dispute with the Garden.

But sources say cable honcho Dennis Mathew was at MSG nonetheless, cheering on the home team against the Dallas Stars as if everything was perfectly normal.

“He’s obviously an Optimum customer who couldn’t watch at home,” sniffed a source.

Reached for comment, an Altice spokesperson told Page Six that Mathew was indeed at the Garden but said, “We had a long-planned business meeting with clients [there].” They added, “We are in active negotiations with MSG and our CEOs met this week.”

Optimum hasn’t aired MSG games since January 1 amid the battle.

Optimum carries Knicks and Rangers games on the MSG Network and, according to the Post’s coverage, Optimum pays the Garden $10 per subscriber for so-called “carriage fees.” Altice wants to change that number. (About a third of New Yorkers usually watch the games via Optimum).

But the Altice spokesperson claimed that the deal that MSG is proposing would force Optimum customers who don’t want to watch games to pay for them anyway.

“This dispute has nothing to do with the teams — this has everything to do with forcing non-fans to pay for content that they do not watch and do not want,” they said, “We want all of our customers who are fans to have access, which is why we’re offering them the [streaming service Gotham], but don’t think it’s fair for MSG to demand that non-fans have to pay for content they don’t watch.”

The Garden told us in a statement: “MSGN is one of the most-viewed television offerings in the New York metro area. This is a pure and simple price gouge from Altice. An attempt to add over $10 dollars a month right to their bottom line… We remain ready to negotiate in good faith to get our programming back on Optimum.”

Jeez — these guys fight dirtier than the hockey players!