| Type | Regional sports network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Utah Nationwide (via satellite) |
| Network | Fox Sports Networks |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 720p (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Liberty Media (1989-2006) DirecTV Sports Group (2009-2016) AT&T (2016-2017) |
| History | |
| Launched | November 1989 (1989-11) |
| Replaced | Jazz Cable Network |
| Closed | July 14, 2017 (2017-07-14) |
| Replaced by | AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain |
| Former names | Prime Sports Network Utah (1989-1990) Prime Sports Network- Intermountain West (1991-1995) Prime Sports Intermountain West (1995–1996) Fox Sports Utah (1996–1999) Fox Sports Net Utah (1999–2004) FSN Utah (2004–2011) Root Sports Utah (2011–2017) |
Root Sports Utah was an Americanregional sports network that was owned by theAT&T Sports Networks subsidiary ofAT&T Inc., as part of theAT&T SportsNet brand of networks and is an affiliate ofFox Sports Networks. Headquartered inSalt Lake City,Utah, the channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events throughout Utah, namely theNBA'sUtah Jazz and college teams including theUtah State Aggies,Utah Utes,BYU Cougars, and several other schools. Root Sports Utah was available oncable providers throughout the state of Utah, and nationwide onsatellite via DirecTV andDish Network.
In 1986,Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) and theUtah Jazz formed a joint-venture to broadcast 20 Jazz games during the 1986-87 season to cable subscribers in five western states starting. The channel, namedJazz Cable Network was ad-supported and offered as a basic service.[1] In addition to the 20 live games, 4 classic games were also aired. Due to a lack of other sports content, the channel was part-time and only operated during the basketball season.[2] The number of games were increased to 25 and then 26 for the 1987–88 and 1988-89 seasons respectively.[3][4] In 1989, TCI announced a partnership withBill Daniels to combine the two companies regional sports offerings into thePrime Sports Network.[5]
The network launched in November 1989 asPrime Sports Network Utah;[6][7] owned by TCI'sLiberty Media, it served as an owned-and-operated outlet of the Prime Network group of regional sports networks. In its first year, the network carried 25 Utah Jazz games.[6] At some point, the network was rebranded asPrime Sports Intermountain West. In 1995, Prime Sports began to carryUtah Grizzlies (IHL) games when the team relocated to the state.[8]
In 1996,News Corporation, which formed a sports division for theFox network two years earlier after it obtained the broadcast rights to theNational Football Conference, acquired a 50% interest in the Prime Network from Liberty Media.[9] On November 1, 1996, News Corporation and Liberty Media relaunched the Prime Network affiliates as part of the newFox Sports Net group, with the Salt Lake City-based network officially rebranding asFox Sports Utah.[10] The channel was rebranded asFox Sports Net Utah in 2000, as part of a collective brand modification of the FSN networks under the "Fox Sports Net" banner; subsequently in 2004, the channel shortened its name toFSN Utah, through the networks' de-emphasis of the "Fox Sports Net" brand.
On December 22, 2006, News Corporation sold its interest in FSN Utah and sister networksFSN Pittsburgh,FSN Northwest andFSN Rocky Mountain to Liberty Media, in an asset trade in which News Corporation also traded its 38.5% ownership stake in satellite providerDirecTV for $550 million in cash and stock, in exchange for Liberty Media's 16.3% stake in the company.[11]
On May 4, 2009, DirecTV Group Inc. announced it would become a part of Liberty's entertainment unit, part of which would then bespun off into the separate company under the DirecTV name, in a deal in which Liberty would increase its share in DirecTV from 48% to 54%, with Liberty ownerJohn Malone and his family owning a 24% interest. DirecTV would operate its newly acquired FSN-affiliated networks throughDirecTV Sports Networks,[12] a new division formed when the split off from Liberty Media was completed on November 19, 2009.[13]
On December 17, 2010, DirecTV Sports Networks announced that its four Fox Sports Networks-affiliated regional outlets – FSN Utah, FSN Pittsburgh, FSN Northwest and FSN Rocky Mountain – would be relaunched under the "Root Sports" brand.[14] The network officially rebranded asRoot Sports Utah on April 1, 2011. On April 8, 2016, DirecTV Sports Networks rebranded under the AT&T name as AT&T Sports Networks.[15]
On June 12, 2017, AT&T Sports Networks announced its networks would rebrand under the name AT&T SportsNet Utah, with all network programming and on-air talent remaining intact.[16][17] On July 14, 2017, Root Sports Utah was merged intoAT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, while a separate subfeed is still maintained, Utah is no longer part of the branding.
Roots Sports Utah held the regional cable television rights to theNBA'sUtah Jazz. The Jazz signed a new exclusive 12-year agreement with the channel on October 20, 2009, ending the team's broadcasts onKJZZ-TV (channel 14).[18]
The network also carriedColorado Rockies baseball, the annualTour of Utah cycling event, and a variety of collegiate sporting events, including football and basketball fromMountain West Conference (including local favoriteUtah State),Big Sky Conference football (including local favoritesSouthern Utah andWeber State),West Coast Conference men's basketball (including local favoriteBYU), andPac-12 Conference football and basketball (including local favoriteUtah).