Bally Sports SoCal
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Internet Protocol television |
Bally Sports SoCal is an American
The network holds the regional broadcast rights to the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association, the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, and West Coast Conference men's and women's basketball. The network also broadcast the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball until 2014, when broadcasts moved to Spectrum SportsNet LA.
History
Beginnings
The original Prime Ticket (currently Bally Sports West) was launched on October 19, 1985, and became one of the leading regional sports networks in the United States. Rival network SportsChannel Los Angeles ceased operations on December 31, 1992, which would eventually create a need for a new regional sports network.[1] After SportsChannel's closure, Prime Ticket acquired the broadcast rights to the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Clippers which had previously broadcast on SportsChannel.[2] However, the Los Angeles Dodgers opted to not to make a deal with Prime Ticket, instead staying off cable for the next four seasons. The network would retain the Prime Ticket name until it was rebranded in 1994 as Prime Sports West and later then Fox Sports West in 1996 when it joined Fox Sports Net.[3]
Fox Sports West 2
On January 27, 1997, Fox Sports Net launched an additional channel, Fox Sports West 2, to provide the broadcast of 40 Los Angeles Dodgers games. The Dodgers had not had any local cable broadcasts of their games since the 1992 season. Additionally, Los Angeles Clippers and
In 2000, Fox Sports West 2 was rebranded as Fox Sports Net West 2, as part of a collective brand modification of the FSN networks under the "Fox Sports Net" banner. In 2004, this was shortened to FSN West 2.
The Return of Prime Ticket
On April 3, 2006, FSN West 2 rebranded as FSN Prime Ticket (later shortened to simply Prime Ticket), beginning with the Dodgers season opener against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. The change was primarily made as a response to perception of viewers that Fox Sports West 2 was an inferior network. The network adopted a new philosophy to concentrate more on local originally-produced content (such as the documentary series Before the Bigs and In My Own Words, and team-themed Insider shows) and less on supplemental national programming provided by Fox Sports Net.[8] FSN West reverted to the Fox Sports West moniker in 2008.
On June 20, 2011, Commissioner of Baseball
In 2014, Prime Ticket began broadcasting
The Future
On December 14, 2017, as part of a merger between both companies,
On November 17, 2020, Sinclair announced an agreement with casino operator Bally's Corporation to serve as a new naming rights partner for the FSN channels. Sinclair announced the new Bally Sports branding for the channels on January 27, 2021.[16] On March 31, 2021, coinciding with the 2021 Major League Baseball season, the Prime Ticket name was retired again as the channel rebranded to Bally Sports SoCal,[17][18] resulting in 18 other Regional Sports Networks renamed Bally Sports in their respective regions.[19]
On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.[20]
Programming
Overflow coverage
In the Los Angeles market, in the case of scheduling conflicts, Bally Sports SoCal will move a scheduled telecast of an Clippers or Ducks game to KCOP-TV (Channel 13), the local MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station and former sister station to the two networks. Select Ducks games are also shown on Bally Sports West.[21] Those KCOP Clippers and Ducks telecasts may also be streamed via the Bally Sports app for those outside of the Los Angeles DMA; Prior to the 2016-17 season, Ducks games were not streamed on the application, as Fox Sports and the National Hockey League did not come to a streaming rights agreement until the summer of 2016.
Courtside View
Bally Sports SoCal provides an alternate feed known as "Courtside View" during select Ducks and Kings home telecasts aired on Bally Sports West; the feature provides distinct camera angles and does not incorporate commentary, providing a broadcast simulating the experience of a spectator at the arena.
Notable on-air staff
Current
- John Ahlers – Anaheim Ducks play-by-play announcer
- Kent French — Ducks Live host
- Brian Hayward – Anaheim Ducks color commentator and Ducks Live analyst
- Guy Hebert — Ducks Live and Angels Live analyst
- Jim Jackson – analyst
- Don MacLean – Clippers Live analyst (former UCLA basketball commentator)
- Corey Maggette — Clippers Live analyst
- Jaime Maggio — Los Angeles Clippers sideline reporter (fil-in)
- Mike Pomeranz — Ducks Live host (rotating)
- Kristina Pink – Los Angeles Clippers sideline reporter
- Brian Sieman– Los Angeles Clippers announcer
- Jeanne Zelasko — Clippers Live host (rotating)
Former
- Chauncey Billups – Los Angeles Clippers analyst
- Michael Cage – Clippers Live analyst, former USC commentator and former analyst for Lakers Live and Bruins Live
- Eric Collins– Dodgers road announcer (games east of Arizona) and Dodgers Live anchor
- Carolyn Hughes– Dodgers Dugout (2005)
- Marques Johnson – Pac-12 basketball commentator and (2007) Trojans Live March Madness analyst
- Eric Karros – Dodgers postseason studio analyst (2003)
- Kevin Kennedy – Major League Baseball analyst
- Ralph Lawler - former Los Angeles Clippers play-by-play announcer
- Steve Lyons – Los Angeles Dodgers road commentator and Dodgers Live analyst
- Bill Macdonald – baseball, basketball, football and hockey announcer
- Adrian Garcia Marquez – Dodgers Live reporter
- Chris McGee – Clippers Live reporter, and high school football announcer
- Marty McSorley – NHL analyst (2006)
- Rick Monday – Dodgers play-by-play announcer and Dugout analyst
- Petros Papadakis – USC football analyst and Pac-12 football commentator
- Steve Physioc – Los Angeles Angels and Pac-12 basketball announcer
- Ross Porter– Dodgers play-by-play announcer
- Lindsay Rhodes – sideline reporter, and anchor of Trojans Live and Southern California Sports Report
- Vin Scully – Los Angeles Dodgers announcer (2005–2013, retired)
- Charley Steiner – Dodgers road announcer
- Matt Stevens – UCLA football analyst
- Paul Sunderland – Pac-12, Big West and Lakers basketball announcer
- Barry Tompkins – Pac-12 football and basketball announcer
- Jim Watson – Pac-12 and LA Galaxy announcer, sideline reporter, and anchor of "Dodgers Live" and "Dodgers Dugout"
- Paul Westphal – NBA analyst, USC basketball commentator
- Van Earl Wright – anchor of Southern California Sports Report, Dodgers Dugout (2004) and Kings "Break the Ice" (2004)
Out of Market Carriage
San Diego County
Bally Sports West maintains widespread cable carriage in San Diego County. However, the two major providers in the area, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications, have refused to carry Prime Ticket since its launch in 1997; both cable providers claim that the network has asked for carriage fees they deemed to be too expensive for carriage on their expanded basic tiers. However, Prime Ticket was carried on some former systems that Time Warner Cable acquired in 2006 from Adelphia Communications. Adelphia had added the channel to their lineup in 2001.
On March 17, 2012, as part of a contract signed with FSN to acquire the local cable rights to the
Las Vegas Valley
Bally Sports West and Bally Sports SoCal maintain widespread cable carriage in the Las Vegas Valley. On May 23, 2017, it was announced that
Because the Vegas Golden Knights hold territorial rights for all of Southern Nevada, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings games are blacked out in the Las Vegas Valley on Bally Sports West and Bally Sports SoCal regardless of the cable or satellite provider, requiring a subscription to the NHL Center Ice out-of-market sports package to view those telecasts. All other sports programming, with the exception of Ducks and Kings hockey games carried on Bally Sports West and Bally Sports SoCal, is available in Southern Nevada.
Ending of Dodgers
In 2013, after the Dodgers ended with Fox, The Dodgers would leave Prime Ticket and start their own network with Time Warner Cable,
References
- ^ Stewart, Larry (November 6, 1992). "SportsChannel L.A. Quits on Dec. 31". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Larry Stewart (January 15, 1993). "Angels, Prime Ticket Sign a Five-Year Deal : Baseball: Station will carry 20 home games in 1993. Dodgers might not have cable contract this year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "FOX SPORTS NET DEBUTS ON NOV. 1". The Columbian. Columbian Publishing Company. Associated Press. September 13, 1996. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
- ^ "ANOTHER FOX SPORTS OUTLET? IT'S YOUR CALL : THE 4TH ANNUAL BEST AND WORST OF THE L.A. SPORTS MEDIA SPORTS ANCHORS/REPORTERS.(SPORTS)". Los Angeles Daily News. January 17, 1997. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (January 27, 1997). "A SPLITTING HEADACHE : Spinoff Fox Sports West 2 Creates More Problems for Cable Operators". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (February 27, 1997). "Mighty Ducks to Stay on Fox Sports West 2". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (May 14, 1997). "Fox Sports West 2 Adds 650,000 Homes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ Stewart, Larry (March 3, 2006). "FSN Prime Ticket Joins Name Game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Commish: TV deal not in Dodgers' best interests". MLB.com. June 20, 2011. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Dodgers sue Fox Sports over alleged interference in team's sale". Los Angeles Times. November 16, 2011.
- ^ "FOX Sports reportedly sues Dodgers". Fox Sports. September 28, 2011.
- Gannett Company. January 12, 2012.
- ^ "Dodgers, Fox Sports talking $6-billion TV deal". Dodgers Now. Los Angeles Times. November 25, 2012.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (May 3, 2019). "Sinclair Clinches Disney-Regional Sports Networks Deal, Byron Allen Joins as Partner". Variety. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
- ^ "Sinclair completes acquisition of regional sports networks from Disney". Bloomberg. August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ Novy-Williams, Eben (November 19, 2020). "Bally's Buys Sinclair RSN Naming Rights As Part of Sports Betting Push". Sportico.com. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Balderston, Michael (January 27, 2021). "Sinclair, Bally Reveal Bally Sports Rebrand for RSNs". TVTechnology. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ "Farewell, Fox Sports West. Hello, Bally Sports". Los Angeles Times. November 19, 2020. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ "Bally Sports SoCal/West FAQ". FOX Sports. FOX Sports West & Prime Ticket. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Bouma, Luke (March 14, 2023). "Bally Sports Just Declared Bankruptcy – The Death of RSNs?". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Ducks Announce 2020-21 Television Schedule". NHL.com.
- U-T San Diego. Retrieved February 20, 2012.