NBC Sports Regional Networks

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NBC Sports Regional Networks
Internet Protocol television

NBC Sports Regional Networks is the collective name for a group of regional sports networks in the United States that are primarily owned and operated by the NBCUniversal division of the cable television company Comcast. The networks were originally established as Comcast SportsNet (CSN), a unit of Comcast's cable television business, beginning with a network in Philadelphia which launched in 1997. Their operations were aligned with the national NBC Sports division following the 2011 acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast. NBC Sports Regional Networks' business and master control operations are based in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

The group operates seven regional networks; Comcast also has a partial ownership interest in

SportsNet New York, which is co-owned with Charter Communications and the New York Mets. Each of the networks carries regional broadcasts of sporting events from various professional, collegiate and high school sports teams (with broadcasts typically exclusive to each individual network, although some are shown on more than one network within a particular team's designated market area), along with regional and national sports discussion, documentary and analysis
programs.

After their realignment with NBC Sports, the networks initially continued to operate primarily under the Comcast SportsNet name. Although Comcast originally considered dropping its name from the networks in favor of NBC Sports following the merger, they still operated under the CSN brand for at least six more years. The group's two networks in California were then re-branded under the NBC Sports brand in April 2017, while the remaining networks were renamed on October 2, 2017.

History

As Comcast SportsNet (1997–2017)

Origins

The origins of Comcast SportsNet are traced to Comcast's March 19, 1996 purchase of a 66% interest in

chairman) also immediately purchased a 66% interest in the Philadelphia 76ers.[1][2]

Immediately after the purchase was announced, there was speculation that Comcast would let Spectacor's television contracts with two local

Rainbow Media) – run out and create a sports network of its own, buy the existing networks or reach a complex deal with Rainbow to have PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia retain the broadcast rights to the 76ers and Flyers.[3][4] Comcast immediately approached the Philadelphia Phillies – whose contract with PRISM and Sports Channel Philadelphia ended after the 1997 season – about entering into a broadcast deal, indicating it would launch an RSN.[1]

After short-lived discussions between Rainbow Media and Comcast about the latter possibly becoming a part-owner in PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia,[5] on April 25, 1996, Comcast Spectacor formally announced plans to create a new Philadelphia-centric basic cable channel, which would carry sports events from the Flyers (whose contract with PRISM and SportsChannel was set to end that fall and was extended by one year on October 4, 1996, the day before its season home opener, after strained contract negotiations) and the Phillies.[6][7][8] On July 21, 1997, Comcast acquired the local television rights to the Philadelphia 76ers, with the team opting out of its contract with PRISM and SportsChannel that was set to run until the 1999–2000 season.[9]

The launch of the new network,

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, effectively shuttered PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia when it launched on October 1, 1997, with the network directly replacing the latter on Philadelphia area local cable systems.[10]

Expansion into other markets

CSN began to expand with a series of acquisitions and new establishments: on July 11, 2000, Comcast acquired a 75% majority interest in

News Corporation, which wanted to acquire full ownership of both networks to make them part of its Fox Sports Net group, sued Comcast and Viacom on July 21 in an attempt to block the sale.[13]

On September 7, 2000, as part of a settlement between the two companies, Comcast traded its equity interest in Midwest Sports Channel to News Corporation in exchange for sole ownership of Home Team Sports.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic on April 4, 2001.[15][16]

On October 1, 2004,

Comcast SportsNet California
in 2008.

On April 30, 2007,

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area
on March 31 of that year.

Integration with NBC Sports

The logo using the full "Comcast SportsNet" name, used from 2012 to 2015; the logo minus the NBC peacock was first introduced in 2008.

As the result of the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast in February 2011, the operations of CSN, along with sister national sports networks Versus and Golf Channel, were integrated into the NBC Sports division. CSN adopted the new NBC Sports branding that was launched in January 2012 alongside the relaunch of Versus as NBC Sports Network. While there were plans for the channels to also take on the NBC branding at this time, they were scrapped in favor of maintaining the Comcast SportsNet name.[20][21][22]

In April 2012,

Northwest, and Philadelphia). For "unwired sales", the Group will be continue to be represented by Home Team Sports. The arrangement is an extension of one that it had established with New England Cable News in 2011.[23]

In early 2012, Comcast signed a contract worth $1 billion with the

Root Sports Southwest on November 14, 2014.[28]

CSN branding for NBC Sports Regional Networks, in place from 2015 to 2017.

In markets that didn't have an affiliate of that group, Comcast SportsNet also carried national programming distributed by competing regional sports network chain FSN (which included various college sports and UEFA Champions League soccer), a relationship that traced back to the launch of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia (which took over the FSN programming rights from SportsChannel Philadelphia).[29] CSN quietly dropped all FSN-supplied programming on August 1, 2012, after failing to reach an agreement to continue carrying FSN's nationally distributed programs.[30]

NBC Sports Regional Networks logo, used from 2017 to 2023

On March 22, 2017, the division announced that it would rebrand CSN Bay Area and CSN California to

The Comcast Network channels were also rebranded, with TCN Mid-Atlantic becoming NBC Sports Washington Plus, and TCN Philadelphia becoming NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus.[32] The rebranding took effect on October 2, 2017, coinciding with the start of the 2017–18 NHL and NBA seasons.[33][34]

In June 2021, NBC lost the contract to the

Sports Business Journal reported that the transaction was a "one-off" due to Monumental being an "aggressive and willing" buyer, and that Comcast had no plans to sell off its other regional sports networks.[38]

Channels

Owned-and-operated outlets

Channel Region served Team rights Year established Formerly operated as Notes
SportsNets
NBC Sports Bay Area San Francisco Bay Area
Northern and central California
parts of Southern Oregon
northwestern Nevada (including the Lake Tahoe–Reno–Carson City region)
San Francisco 49ers (NFL) (team-related programs only) 		2008
  • Pacific Sports Network (1989–91)
  • SportsChannel Bay Area (1990–91)
  • SportsChannel Pacific (1991–98)
  • Fox Sports Bay Area (1998–2000)
  • Fox Sports Net Bay Area (2000–04)
  • FSN Bay Area (2004–08)
  • Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (2008–2017)
 Owned as a joint venture between CSN Bay Area Holdings (the NBC Sports Group and San Francisco Giants).[19] Comcast acquired a majority interest in the network from Cablevision in April 2007. While previously branded as an FSN affiliate, it switched to the Comcast SportsNet branding in March 2008.[18]
NBC Sports Boston Massachusetts
eastern and central Connecticut (except Fairfield County)
Vermont
Maine
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
New Hampshire Wildcats[40] (NCAA)
Connecticut Sun (WNBA)[41]
 2007 PRISM New England (1981–1983)
SportsChannel New England (1983–1998)
Fox Sports New England (1998–2000)
Fox Sports Net New England (2000–2004)
FSN New England (2004–2007)
Comcast SportsNet New England (2007–2017) 		Comcast acquired a majority share from Cablevision in April 2007. The network was renamed Comcast SportsNet New England in October 2007.[42]
NBC Sports California San Francisco Bay Area
Northern and central California
parts of Oregon
parts of Nevada
2004
  • Comcast SportsNet West (2004–2008)
  • Comcast SportsNet California (2008–2017)
 Created in conjunction with Maloof Sports & Entertainment, owners of the Sacramento Kings and Sacramento Monarchs, after the company opted not to renew its previous contract with FSN Bay Area. Originally launching as Comcast SportsNet West, the channel was renamed Comcast SportsNet California on September 4, 2008.
NBC Sports Chicago Chicago metropolitan area
northern and central Illinois, Indiana (except areas near Cincinnati, Evansville and Louisville), Iowa, non-Milwaukee market areas of southern Wisconsin 		Chicago White Sox (MLB)
Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
Chicago Bulls (NBA)
Chicago Sky (WNBA)
Chicago Bandits (NPF)
Northern Illinois Huskies football (NCAA)
Illinois State Redbirds basketball (NCAA) 		2004 Comcast SportsNet Chicago Owned by Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal (25%), Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner
FSN Chicago
.
NBC Sports Philadelphia Philadelphia metropolitan area
eastern Pennsylvania
southern and central New Jersey
Delaware 		Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)
Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)

(team-related programs only)

Colonial Athletic Association
(NCAA)

1997 Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia Owned by NBC Sports Group (75%) and the Philadelphia Phillies (25%).[43] The flagship of the Comcast regional sports networks, it was the first Comcast SportsNet channel to launch, effectively replacing SportsChannel Philadelphia and PRISM in 1997, and (through its ownership by Phillies and Flyers parent Comcast Spectacor) was a pioneer in team-owned sports networks.[44]
Other networks
SportsNet New York
(SNY) 		New York metropolitan area
New York state
Connecticut
northern and central New Jersey
northeastern Pennsylvania 		New York Mets (MLB)
New York Jets (NFL)
(team-related programs only)
Big East Conference sports (NCAA)
Ivy League sports (NCAA)
University of Connecticut Huskies sports (NCAA) 		2006 Owned by the Sterling Entertainment Enterprises
New York Mets (65%),
Charter Communications (27%)
and NBC Sports Group (8%).

Former networks

Channel Region served Team rights Formerly operated as Tenure with CSN Notes
Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina Atlanta Dream (WNBA)
Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference sports (NCAA)
Atlanta Braves (MLB; WPCH-TV simulcast) 		Sun Belt Network (1999–2004) 1999–2014 Launched as a joint venture with Charter Communications; available only on cable providers, CSS primarily carried collegiate and high school sporting events (especially the Southeastern Conference, though few actual live SEC football or basketball games were carried by the network), and it was de facto superseded by ESPN's SEC Network. Although it never used the Comcast SportsNet brand, CSS was treated as a sister network to the CSN outlets.
Comcast SportsNet Houston
 Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico[45]
Houston Dynamo
(MLS)
regional college football and basketball 		2012–2014
Root Sports
group as Root Sports Southwest (Later renamed as AT&T SportsNet Southwest in July 2017); the network reached 40% of cable television homes in the Houston market prior to the network's bankruptcy and sale.
Comcast Sports Southwest Houston area Select games from Sun Belt Conference, Southeastern Conference, and Conference USA (particularly those of the University of Houston and Rice University; all NCAA) 2009–2012 The network shut down in October 2012, following the launch of Comcast SportsNet Houston. The network carried events from the Houston Cougars and Rice Owls as well as Houston-area high school sports.[46]
MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.) National (based in
Denver, Colorado
)
Wyoming Cowboys
(NCAA) 		2006–2012 Launched on September 1, 2006, as a joint venture between the Mountain West Conference, CBS Sports (through the former CSTV) and Comcast. The network was shut down on June 1, 2012, as a result of the Mountain West Conference's team realignment.
NBC Sports Northwest Washington
Oregon
Alaska 		Portland Trail Blazers (NBA)
Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
(through Sportsnet Pacific)
Tacoma Rainiers (PCL)
University of Oregon Ducks sports (NCAA) 		Comcast SportsNet Northwest 2007–2021 Created in conjunction with the Trail Blazers after the team was unable to reach an agreement to keep its game broadcasts on FSN Northwest (now Root Sports Northwest). The network was available mainly on Comcast systems, and was not carried by Dish Network nor DirecTV. Canby Telcom accused Comcast of being inflexible in carriage negotiations for the network pertaining to its subscriber rates,[47] with The Oregonian reporting that CSN Northwest was seeking a rate of $2 per month per subscriber, more than what was being paid to the established FSN Northwest.[48] The network shut down at the end of the broadcast day on September 30, 2021.[35]
The Comcast Network
Mid-Atlantic states

southern Pennsylvania
Colonial Athletic Association
football (NCAA) 		CN8 (1996–2009) 1996–2017 Based in Philadelphia and the
Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The networks were carried on most Comcast systems along the East Coast (from Philadelphia to Richmond, Virginia), and also carried on other cable providers. The networks served primarily as local news/information channels, but carried some regional sports programming, including Eastern League baseball and CAA football, as well as select Phillies games within that team's designated market. Originally expanded into the Boston
market, the New England operations ceased in 2009. The Philadelphia and Washington networks were replaced with Plus feeds of NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Washington, respectively.
NBC Sports Washington
 Maryland
Virginia
Washington, D.C.
southern Pennsylvania
eastern West Virginia
southern Delaware
Hampton Roads
Outer Banks
Colonial Athletic Association
sports (NCAA) 		Home Team Sports (1984–2001)
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (2001–2017) 		2001–2023 Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic carried the
Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, parent company of the Wizards and Capitals, which has held a minority equity interest in the network since 2016, acquired the network outright in September 2022. The network rebranded as the Monumental Sports Network on September 20, 2023.[49]

Other channels

NBCUniversal Television Group responsible for running NBC and Telemundo's owned-and-operated stations), and eventually became the journalistic foundation of NBC's new Boston O&O, WBTS-LD (since relocated to WBTS-CD), in January 2017.[50]

Comcast also owned Comcast Local (CL), a

FSN Detroit and/or the Big Ten Network.[51][52]

Related services

High definition

Each regional channel (and in some cases, their alternate feed) has its own separate high-definition feed, with their own set schedules of programming – including live sports events as well as locally produced and NBC Sports-distributed national programs and live studio shows – available in HD. NBC Sports Northwest currently does not maintain a high-definition simulcast in the Seattle market.

Overflow feeds

Most NBC Sports Regional Networks maintain alternate (or overflow) feeds under the Plus brand (with the network's regional name suffixed preceding the "Plus" title) for the broadcast of two or more events involving teams the respective network holds the broadcast rights to carry.

NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
to serve as a de facto overflow network in the event that two local games were scheduled to air simultaneously on NBCS Philadelphia.

National programs

Programming strategy

Each of the NBC Sports regional network outlets have acquired the play-by-play broadcast rights to major sports teams in their regional market (exempting NFL regular season or playoff games, since the league's contracts require all games to be aired on broadcast television in each participating team's local markets). In addition to local play-by-play coverage, the NBC Sports networks also produce and broadcast pre-game and post-game shows, and broadcasts weekly "magazine" shows centered on the teams that maintain rights with the individual network. In some markets, NBC Sports competes directly with other regional sports networks for the broadcast rights to team-specific programming.

National sports programming

Live national play-by-play

Other sports

See also

References and footnotes

  1. ^ a b Michael Sokolove; Jayson Stark and Michael L. Rozansky (March 20, 1996). "Comcast Buying 76ers And Flyers Phils Also May Get Involved With Firm". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  2. ^ Edward Moran (December 4, 1996). "Picture Starts To Clear Sports Deal Gets Comcast's Foot In Door For New Channel". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  3. ^ Sam Donnellon (March 20, 1996). "Prism, Sportschannel On Way Out?". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  4. ^ Michael L. Rozansky; Michael Sokolove (March 24, 1996). "Comcast Deal Isn't The End Of Prism It Could Benefit Both Firms To Leave The TV Rights As They Are". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  5. ^ "COMCAST WELCOME AS AN INVESTOR IN PHILADELPHIA RSNS". Sports Business Journal. March 28, 1996. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  6. ^ Edward Moran; Bill Fleischman (April 26, 1996). "Comcast Puts Prism On Ropes Phils Agree To Join Flyers, Sixers In Fledgling All-sports Cable Channel". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  7. ^ James McConville (April 29, 1996). "Comcast launching Philly sports channel". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  8. ^ Bill Fleischman (October 5, 1996). "Flyers And Prism Ink Last-minute TV Deal". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  9. ^ Bill Fleischman (July 22, 1997). "New Sportsnet Reels In Sixers". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  10. ^ Michael L. Rozansky (July 27, 1997). "Local TV Sports Fans To See A Change, In Cost Sportschannel And Prism Are Going, Going. . . . A New Basic Cable Channel Takes Over". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
  11. Baltimore Sun
    .
  12. ^ Eric Fisher (July 12, 2000). "Purchase of HTS Continues Comcast's Foray into Area Sports". The Washington Times.
  13. ^ Linda Moss; R. Thomas Umstead (July 24, 2000). "Fox Sports Net Suing to Block HTS Sell-Off". Multichannel News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  14. ^ Judd Zulgad (September 8, 2000). "BROADCAST SPORTS; Fox Sports' agreement to acquire MSC now final". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  15. ^ Kristine Henry (March 3, 2001). "Nevins leaves PR post for presidency of HTS". Baltimore Sun.
  16. ^ "HTS now Comcast SportsNet, adding sports news coverage". Baltimore Sun. April 4, 2001.
  17. ^ Cynthia Littleton (April 30, 2007). "Comcast sports new cable networks". Variety. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Tom FitzGerald (August 20, 2010). "Same channel, but new name for local telecasts / Comcast SportsNet BA replaces FSNBA". San Francisco Chronicle.
  19. ^ a b c John Dempsey (December 10, 2007). "SF Giants take stake in FSN". Variety. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  20. ^ David Goetzl (May 4, 2011). "NBC Sports Brand Going Local". MediaPost. MediaPost Publications. Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  21. ^ Wayne Friedman (May 9, 2011). "NBC Steps Up Branding For Comcast Sports Nets". MediaPost. MediaPost Communications. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  22. Sporting News
    . Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  23. ^ Lindsay Rubino (April 16, 2012). "NBC Owned Stations, Comcast Sports Group Strike Ad Sales Partnership". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  24. ^ David Barron (March 7, 2012). "Comcast SportsNet Houston plans October launch". Houston Chronicle.
  25. ^ David Barron (October 2, 2012). "Fox Sports Houston signs off with familiar face". Houston Chronicle.
  26. ^ David Barron (September 27, 2013). "CSN Houston bankruptcy filing surprises Astros". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  27. ^ David Barron (August 6, 2014). "AT&T, DirecTV to take over Comcast SportsNet Houston". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  28. ^ David Barron (November 14, 2014). "Root Sports Houston to make Rockets debut on Monday". Houston Chronicle (Ultimate Rockets).
  29. ^ "COMCAST SPORTSNET LAUNCHES OCTOBER 1, LANDS 76ERS' RIGHTS". Sports Business Journal. July 22, 1997. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  30. ^ John Ourand (August 14, 2012). "NBC Sports Group Drops FSN Programming From Comcast RSNs". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  31. ^ "CSN Bay Area, CSN California To Be Rebranded Under 'NBC Sports' Moniker". Sports Video Group. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  32. ^ "CSN Mid-Atlantic is rebranding as NBC Sports Washington". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  33. ^ CSN Philadelphia brand deep-sixed, network name officially changes to NBC
  34. ^ NBCSCH doing Bulls, Blackhawks pregame and postgame shows even for games it doesn't carry
  35. ^ a b Cowley, Jared (June 9, 2021). "Blazers agree to broadcast deal with Root Sports, end partnership with NBC Sports Northwest". kgw.com. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  36. ^ Rizzo, Lillian (6 May 2021). "NBCUniversal Explores Streaming Its Sports Channels or Selling Them Off". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  37. ^ "Sinclair bids for NBC Sports Networks: Sources". 2 July 2021.
  38. Sports Business Journal
    . Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  39. ^ "Free Jacks, NBC Sports Boston announce partnership for 2022 MLR season". RSN. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  40. ^ "UNH and NBC Sports Boston to broadcast four Wildcat football home games this season". University of New Hampshire Athletics. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  41. ^ "Connecticut Sun announce TV deal with NBC Sports Boston". 17 May 2023.
  42. ^ Bill Doyle (September 20, 2007). "Several TV voices take it to Belichick". Telegram & Gazette. (must scroll down about half a page for citation)
  43. ^ Matt Gelb; Bob Fernandez (January 5, 2014). "Phillies get $2.5 billion, equity stake in Comcast SportsNet". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  44. ^ Rose DeWolf (August 25, 1997). "Starz On The Horizon Goodbye Prism & Sports Channel; What's Next Depends On Where You Hang The Clicker". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  45. ^ David Barron (July 5, 2012). "TV-radio notebook: CSN Houston lands C-USA football games". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  46. ^ "Comcast adds more Houston-area sports programming". Houston Business Journal. American City Business Journals. August 31, 2009.
  47. ^ "Comcast Sportsnet and NFL Network". Canby Telcom.[dead link]
  48. ^ Mike Rogoway (May 29, 2007). "Comcast's sports channels fuel bidding war". The Oregonian.
  49. ^ "NBC Sports Washington is Becoming Monumental Sports Network". Washington Capitals. June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  50. ^ Michael Malone (July 24, 2013). "NBC's Owned Stations Reorganize". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  51. ^ "Comcast Local Going Off The Air". WILX-TV. Gray Television. January 10, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  52. ^ Steven Rosso (January 10, 2008). "CMU and Comcast Local". The Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved April 18, 2015.

External links