 | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Most of the U.S. (through regional affiliates) |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 720p (HDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
| Launched | November 1, 1996; 28 years ago (1996-11-01) |
| Replaced | |
| Closed | March 31, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-03-31) |
| Replaced by | Bally Sports |
| Former names |
|
Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known asFox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group ofregional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 byNews Corporation, the networks were acquired bythe Walt Disney Company on March 20, 2019, following itsacquisition of 21st Century Fox. A condition of that acquisition imposed by theU.S. Department of Justice required Disney to sell the regional networks by June 18, 2019, ninety days after the completion of its acquisition.[1] Disney subsequently agreed to sell the networks (excluding theYES Network, being reacquired byYankee Global Enterprises) to Sinclair;[2][3] the transaction was completed on August 22, 2019.[4] The networks continued to use the Fox Sports name only under a transitional license agreement while rebranding options were explored.[5] A rebranding cross-partnership withBally's Corporation took effect on March 31, 2021, and the networks were rebranded asBally Sports, ending the Fox Sports Networks branding after 25 years.[6][7]
Each of the channels in the group carried regional broadcasts of sporting events from various professional, collegiate and high school sports teams (with broadcasts typically exclusive to each individual channel, although some were shown on multiple FSN channels orsyndicated to a local broadcast station within a particular team'sdesignated market area), along with regional and national sports discussion, documentary and analysis programs.
Depending on their individual team rights, some Fox Sports Networks maintained overflow feeds available via subscription television providers in their home markets, which provided alternate programming when not used to carry game broadcasts that the main feed could not carry due to scheduling conflicts. Fox Sports Networks was headquartered inHouston, Texas, withmaster control facilities based in both Houston and Los Angeles; FSN also maintained production facilities at Stage 19 atUniversal Studios Florida (which formerly served as home ofNickelodeon Studios until its closure in 2005).
At the dawn of the cable television era, many regional sports networks (RSNs) vied to compete with the largest national sports network,ESPN. The most notable were theSportsChannel network, which first began operating in 1976 with the launch of the original SportsChannel (nowMSG Sportsnet) in the New York City area and later branched out into channels serving Chicago and Florida;Prime Network, which launched in 1983 with Home Sports Entertainment (nowBally Sports Southwest) as its charter member network and later branched out onto the West Coast as "Prime Sports"; and SportSouth, an RSN operated by theTurner Broadcasting System.
On October 31, 1995,News Corporation, which ten years earlier launched theFox Broadcasting Company, a general entertainmentbroadcast network that formed its ownsports division in 1994 with the acquisition of the television rights to theNational Football Conference of theNational Football League, entered into a joint venture withTCI'sLiberty Media, acquiring a 50% ownership interest in the company's Prime Sports affiliates Liberty in turn gained a stake in Fox's year-old cable channelFX.[8][9] On July 3, 1996, News Corporation and Liberty Media/TCI announced that the Prime Sports networks would be rebranded under the new "Fox Sports Net" brand;[10] the Prime Sports-branded affiliates were officially relaunched as Fox Sports Net on November 1 of that year.[11][12][13] The first new network to come out of the partnership wasFox Sports Arizona which launched on September 7, 1996, nearly two months before the existing networks would be rebranded.[14][15] That same year, Fox purchased SportSouth from Turner, and rebranded that network asFox Sports South in January 1997.[16]
On June 30, 1997, the Fox/Liberty joint venture purchased a 40% interest inCablevision/NBC's sports properties including the SportsChannel America networks,Madison Square Garden, and theNew York Knicks andNew York Rangers professional sports franchises, a deal worth $850 million; the deal formed the venture National Sports Partners to run Fox Sports Net's national programming operations.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] In early 1998, SportsChannel America was integrated into the Fox Sports Net family of networks; SportsChannel Florida, however, remained as the lone SportsChannel America-branded network before it joined FSN as well in 2000 after News Corporation and Cablevision purchasedFlorida Panthers ownerWayne Huizenga's controlling interest in that network.[26]
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In 1999, Liberty Media (which had become a subsidiary ofAT&T when AT&T acquired TCI earlier that year) sold its interest in Fox Sports Net and FX to News Corp. The sale was part of a complex transaction involving a stock swap that gave Liberty an 8% interest in News Corp, making it the second largest shareholder.[27] News Corp became the sole owner of Fox Sports Net.
On July 11, 2000,Comcast purchased a majority interest in theMinneapolis-based Midwest Sports Channel andBaltimore-based Home Team Sports fromViacom.[28] News Corporation, a minority owner in both networks, wanted to acquire them outright and integrate the two networks into Fox Sports Net. Home Team Sports had been affiliated with FSN since 1996.[29] The company filed a lawsuit against Comcast ten days later on July 21, in an attempt to block the sale.[30][31] On September 7, 2000, as part of a settlement between the two companies, Comcast traded its equity interest in Midwest Sports Channel (which becameFox Sports Net North) to News Corporation in exchange for exclusive ownership of Home Team Sports (which subsequently joined competing regional sports networkComcast SportsNet as Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, nowNBC Sports Washington).[32]
In September 2004, Fox Sports Net became known simply as "FSN"; however, the former name remained in common use until 2010, when "Fox Sports Local" was adopted for use in referencing its regional networks. On February 22, 2005, Fox's then-parent company, News Corporation, acquired full ownership of FSN/Fox Sports Local, following an asset trade withCablevision Systems Corporation, in which Fox sold its interest in Madison Square Garden and the arena'sNBA andNHL team tenants in exchange for acquiring sole ownership of Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Florida. Cablevision simultaneously gained sole ownership of Fox Sports Chicago and Fox Sports New York, and a 50% interest in Fox Sports New England (withComcast retaining its existing 50% stake); Fox and Cablevision, however, retained joint ownership of Fox Sports Bay Area.[33][34]
Fox Sports Chicago ceased operations in June 2006, after losing the regional cable television rights to local professional teams (including theChicago Bulls,Blackhawks,Cubs andWhite Sox) two years earlier to the newly launchedComcast SportsNet Chicago.[35]
On December 22, 2006, News Corporation sold its interest in four Fox Sports regional networks—FSN Utah,FSN Pittsburgh,FSN Northwest andFSN Rocky Mountain—as well as its 38.5% ownership stake in satellite providerDirecTV to Liberty Media for $550 million in cash and stock, in exchange for Liberty's 16.3% stake in News Corporation.[36][37] On May 4, 2009, DirecTV Group Inc. announced it would become a part of Liberty's entertainment unit, with plans tospin off certain properties into a separate company under the DirecTV name, which would operate the four acquired FSN-affiliated networks throughDirecTV Sports Networks,[38] a new division formed on November 19, 2009, upon the spin-off's completion.[39]
On April 30, 2007, Cablevision sold its 50% interests in the New England and Bay Area networks to Comcast for $570 million;[40] both networks became part ofComcast SportsNet, with FSN New England relaunching as Comcast SportsNet New England in July 2007 and FSN Bay Area relaunching as Comcast SportsNet Bay Area March 2008. Despite Cablevision's sale of the networks, the channels continued to use "Fox Sports Net/National Sports Partners" in its copyright tag until 2008 (the copyright used has since changed to "National Sports Programming").
On April 1, 2011, DirecTV Sports Networks rebranded its FSN regional affiliates under theRoot Sports brand.[41]
In 2012, News Corporation acquired a 49% stake in theYES Network, the regional sports network in theNew York metropolitan area co-owned byYankee Global Enterprises.[42] It was also in that year that FSN/Fox Sports Local relocated its headquarters from the Fox Studio Lot inLos Angeles to Houston, and then re-branded to its current branding. The FSN owned-and-operated networks were spun off along with most of News Corporation's U.S. entertainment properties into21st Century Fox on July 1, 2013. On January 25, 2014, 21st Century Fox then became the YES Networks' majority owner by purchasing an additional 31% share of it, increasing the company's ownership interest from 49% to 80%.[43] In September 2013, the network gained the affiliation for FSN's national programming (sharing it withMSG Plus, the former FSN New York)
On December 14, 2017,The Walt Disney Company announced its intention toacquire 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion after thespin-off of certain businesses into a new entity (Fox Corporation). While the acquisition was originally slated to include Fox Sports' regional operations (which, presumably, would have been re-aligned with Disney'sESPN division),[44][45] theJustice Department ordered that they be divested within 90 days of the completion of the acquisition due to the concentration of the market that ESPN would hold.[46][47]
Sinclair Broadcast Group was mentioned as the most likely buyer for the other FSN networks, but would need the assistance of aprivate equity firm to help raise the cash needed for the purchase.[48][49] The group's other sports properties includeStadium—a national sports network distributed via over-the-air digital television and internet streaming,Tennis Channel, as well asMarquee Sports Network, a joint venture with theChicago Cubs.[50] Over 40 parties were reported to have expressed interest, includingSilver Lake Partners andWilliam Morris Endeavor in a joint deal,Charter Communications,Discovery (who operates theEurosport networks in Europe),[51]Amazon,Apollo Global Management,The Blackstone Group,CVC Capital Partners,Ice Cube andLL Cool J,KKR,Nexstar Media Group,Providence Equity Partners andYouTube.[52] Due to a clause imposed on the original sale,[53]Yankee Global Enterprises had a right of first refusal to purchase Fox's share inYES Network.Allen & Company andJPMorgan Chase, who were handling the FSN sale for Disney, asked that all bids include YES in their offers.[54]
Fox did not bid for the channels in the first round. On November 20, 2018, Amazon, Sinclair and CVC jointly,[55] Apollo, KKR andTegna officially bid for the network.[56] It was also reported that a Sinclair/CVC joint venture was the leading bidder.[57][58] In December 2018, it was reported that due to the low bids, there was the possibility that the networks could be sold individually instead of as a single group, and that the banks were in talks with those who made partial bids, such as Amazon (who only bid for the YES Network) and Charter (who only bid for Fox Sports South).Minnesota Twins ownerJim Pohlad was reportedly interested in his team's broadcaster Fox Sports North.[59] Discovery CEODavid Zaslav stated that the company had considered a bid, but that regional sports networks were a "very treacherous market".[60]
In a January 2019 SEC filing, Fox Corporation stated that it no longer had any plans to bid for the channels.[61] On January 11, 2019CNBC reported that Apollo, Blackstone, CVC and other bidders except Sinclair backed out of the deal for the networks with the sole bidder being the Sinclair/CVC joint venture.[62] It was also reported that the possibility of spinning out the channels as an independent company was also being considered.[63][64] In February 2019, it was reported that Apollo and Sinclair had dropped out (but with the former seeking a new partner), but that Liberty Media andMajor League Baseball had made offers.[65][66][67] Later that month, it was reported that Pohlad and Detroit Pistons ownerTom Gores (via his private equity firmPlatinum Equity) had joined the Liberty Media bid.[68]
On March 8, 2019, it was reported that the Yankees had reached a deal to re-purchase Fox's share in the YES Network for $3.5 billion, with Sinclair, Amazon andThe Blackstone Group holding minority shares. MLB also confirmed a $10 billion bid, seeking to use them to bolster the income of its small-market teams.[69][70] It was also reported that month thatIce Cube andLL Cool J (via Ice Cube's 3-on-3 basketball leagueBig3—which had Fox as its initial broadcast partner) were also preparing a bid of around $15 billion.[71] Big3 stated that it wanted to expand the channels to include programming covering "broader cultural and political topics" of local interest alongside sports. In April 2019, Big3 filed a complaint with the Department of Justice and FCC, accusing Charter Communications of attempting to "undermine" its bid by threatening to not carry the channels if it won the auction. Liberty Media ownerJohn Malone has an ownership stake in Charter; the company denied Big3's allegations.[72] The final round of bids were due on April 15, 2019,[73] with bids having been in excess of $10 billion or higher. Liberty and MLB were reported to have partnered on a joint bid, Big3's bid contained $6.5 billion in debt and only $3 billion in outside funding, while Sinclair had re-entered contention in a joint bid with Apollo.[60]
On April 26 and May 2, respectively,Fox Business Network andThe Wall Street Journal reported that Sinclair was nearing an agreement to purchase the networks for $10 billion.[74][75] On May 3, Sinclair officially announced that via its subsidiary Diamond Sports Group, it had agreed to purchase the networks for $10.6 billion, pending regulatory approval. At the same time, it was also revealed thatAllen Media Group would hold an equity stake in the company and serve as a "content partner".[76] Three senators (Cory Booker,Bernie Sanders andElizabeth Warren) called for the sale to be reviewed by the Department of Justice, citing concerns over Sinclair'spolitical views, and that it could use the networks as leverage for carriage agreements for its broadcast television stations.[77]
The sale was completed on August 22, 2019. The networks would continue to temporarily use the "Fox Sports" branding under a transitional license agreement with Fox Corporation; Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley stated that there were plans to eventually rebrand them under either a new name, or to "partner with a brand who wants more exposure". There were also plans to increase non-event programming, and emphasis onsports betting in its programming.[5] In November 2019, theSun-Sentinel reported that Fox Sports Florida was to be rebranded "within the next few months".[78]
Due tocarriage disputes,Dish Network andSling TV dropped Fox Sports Networks in July 2019.[79]FuboTV dropped the channels in January 2020,[80] andYouTube TV andHulu + Live TV followed in October 2020.[81][82]
On November 4, 2020, Sinclair took a $4.23 billion write-down on the FSN purchase.[83]
On November 17, 2020, it was reported bySportico that Sinclair was considering rebranding the networks via anaming rights agreement, and was reportedly in talks with multiple companies involved in sports betting.[84] The next day, Sinclair announced that it had entered into an agreement with casino operatorBally's Corporation to acquire the naming rights under a 10-year deal. The agreement included integration of Bally's content on the channels and other Sinclair properties (including its television stations, Stadium, and Tennis Channel), and awarrant giving Sinclair the option to acquire a 14.9% stake in Bally's Corporation, and up to 24.9% if performance criteria are met.[6] Sinclair announced in December 2020 that it planned to launch its owndirect-to-consumer Bally's-branded streaming service, including live streaming of its linear sports networks, in 2021.[85]
On January 27, 2021, Sinclair announced that the networks would be rebranded asBally Sports withFox Sports Carolinas andFox Sports Tennessee discontinued and their sports programming dispersed to the Bally Sports South and Southeast channels. To better reflect their target markets, Prime Ticket and SportsTime Ohio were rebranded as Bally Sports SoCal and Bally Sports Great Lakes, respectively.[86][87] In March 2021, Sinclair revealed that the relaunch would occur on March 31, the eve of Major League Baseball'sOpening Day.[88]
| Channel | Region served | Formerly operated as | Year joined or launched | Year left or closed | Currently operating as | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Sports Arizona | Arizona New Mexico Utah southernNevada | 1996 | 2021 | Defunct | Launched September 7, 1996 as first network to use Fox Sports name. Network closed October 21, 2023 asBally Sports Arizona due to losing all broadcast rights. | |
| Fox Sports Carolinas | North Carolina South Carolina | 2008 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network South | Launched in 2008, as a sub-feed of Fox Sports South, merged back upon Bally Sports rebrand. | |
| Fox Sports Detroit | Michigan northwesternOhio northeasternIndiana northeastWisconsin | 1997 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Detroit | Created through Fox Sports' acquisition of the local television rights to most of Detroit's professional sports teams fromPASS Sports, resulting inPost-Newsweek Stations (owner of that market's NBC affiliateWDIV-TV) shutting down the latter in 1997. | |
| Fox Sports Florida | Florida southernAlabama southernGeorgia | SportsChannel Florida (1987–2000) | 2000 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Florida | Shares broadcast rights with sister network Fox Sports Sun; it was the last FSN network acquired by News Corporation through its joint venture with Liberty Media to retire the SportsChannel name, upon becoming Fox Sports Net Florida in 2000. |
| Fox Sports Houston | Southern Texas southern Louisiana | 2009 | 2012 | Defunct | Originally launched as a subfeed of Fox Sports Southwest; became a 24-hour channel on January 12, 2009.[89] Fox Sports Houston was the television home of the Houston Astros and the Houston Rockets until Comcast SportsNet Houston acquired the rights to both teams in 2012;[90] that deal resulted in the shut down of Fox Sports Houston on October 5, 2012, with the main Fox Sports Southwest feed replacing it on area cable providers.[91] Comcast SportsNet Houston becameRoot Sports Southwest after that network went into bankruptcy. | |
| Fox Sports Indiana | Indiana | 2006 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Indiana | Broadcast area originally served by Prime Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Midwest; Fox Sports Indiana became a separate channel in 2006, after Fox Sports acquired the regional broadcast rights to the Indiana Pacers. It is still considered as a subfeed of Fox Sports Midwest in some markets. Fox Sports South carries select Indiana Pacers games aired by Fox Sports Indiana in Kentucky. | |
| Fox Sports Kansas City | Kansas City,Missouri Kansas | 2008 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City | Broadcast area originally served by Prime Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Midwest; Fox Sports Kansas City was created as a spin-off of FSN Midwest, after it acquired the broadcast rights to the Kansas City Royals from the defunctRoyals Sports Television Network in a long-term deal with the team. Fox Sports Midwest remains available in the region, carryingSt. Louis Cardinals game telecasts that Fox Sports Kansas City is unable to broadcast due to conflicts with Royals telecasts. Some of the channel's programming is produced by Fox Sports Midwest. | |
| Fox Sports Midwest | Missouri southernIllinois Iowa Nebraska | Prime Sports Midwest (1989–1996) | 1996 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Midwest | Cardinals games carried by Fox Sports Midwest are, respectively, broadcast by Fox Sports South inWest Tennessee and Fox Sports Tennessee in northernMississippi. Fox Sports Midwest re-acquired the local television rights to the Royals in 2008, following the shutdown of the Royals Sports Television Network, resulting in the creation of spin-off channel Fox Sports Kansas City. |
| Fox Sports New Orleans | Louisiana | 2012 | 2021 | Defunct | Launched in October 2012, and created through Fox Sports' acquisition of the local broadcast rights to the then-New Orleans Hornets.[92] Network closed October 21, 2024 asBally Sports New Orleans due to losing major sports rights. | |
| Fox Sports North | Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa North Dakota South Dakota | Midwest Sports Channel (1989–2000) | 1997 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network North | Fox Sports North operates regional subfeeds for the Minnesota/Dakotas region. The Wisconsin feed, which is not available in areas of the state adjacent to theMinneapolis–St. Paul market, was spun off in April 2007 into the separate Fox Sports Wisconsin, which also carries select game broadcasts from Fox Sports North. |
| Fox Sports Ohio | Ohio easternIndiana Kentucky northwesternPennsylvania, southwestern New York | SportsChannel Ohio (1989–1998) | 1998 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Ohio | Reds games broadcast by Fox Sports Ohio are televised on local origination cable channels in portions ofTennessee (including theNashville market) and westernNorth Carolina. AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcasts select Cavaliers games televised by Fox Sports Ohio. Separate subfeeds also exist for the Cincinnati and Cleveland markets with the Reds owning a 50% stake in the Cincinnati subfeed. |
| Fox Sports Oklahoma | Oklahoma | 2008 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma | Broadcast area formerly served by Fox Sports Southwest; Fox Sports Oklahoma launched on October 29, 2008, created through a broadcast agreement in which Fox Sports Southwest and then-independent stationKSBI (which carried select games produced by Fox Sports) acquired the television rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder. SelectDallas Mavericks NBA games televised by Fox Sports Southwest are broadcast on Fox Sports Oklahoma in areas within 75 miles of the Oklahoma City market. The channel also carries Big 12 Conference and occasionalTexas Rangers games from Fox Sports Southwest; some Fox Sports Southwest-televised games are available through the Fox Sports Oklahoma Plus overflow feed. | |
| Fox Sports San Diego | San Diego | 2012 | 2021 | Defunct | Launched in March 2012, as a sub-feed ofPrime Ticket. Network liquidated in April 2024 asBally Sports San Diego following a settlement with theSan Diego Padres relating to repeated failures to pay the team the previous year. | |
| Fox Sports South | Georgia Mississippi Alabama Kentucky | SportSouth (original; 1990–1996) | 1996 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network South | Sister network Fox Sports Southeast shares Atlanta Braves and Hawks broadcast rights with Fox Sports South. Production of the Braves game telecasts aired by Atlantaindependent stationWPCH-TV was transferred fromTurner Sports to Fox Sports South in 2011 (a byproduct of the Turner Broadcasting System'slocal marketing agreement with theMeredith Corporation that consolidated WPCH's operations withCBS affiliateWGCL-TV). On February 28, 2013, Fox Sports South and the then-SportSouth reached a deal with the Braves to acquire the 45-game package held by WPCH, rendering the team's game telecasts cable-exclusive beginning with the2013 season and ending the station's 40-year relationship with the Braves.[93] |
| Fox Sports Southeast | Georgia Alabama Mississippi Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina | Turner South (1999–2006) SportSouth (2006–2015) | 2006 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Southeast | Formerly known as Turner South, and operated as a general entertainment cable channel, from 1999 to October 13, 2006, when it adopted the name SportSouth following its sale byTime Warner's Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary to then Fox Sports Networks parent News Corporation. SportSouth and Fox Sports South airedAtlanta Thrashers games until the team's relocation toWinnipeg (as theWinnipeg Jets) in 2011. Fox Sports South carries select Memphis Grizzlies games aired by SportSouth in Kentucky. SportSouth was rebranded as Fox Sports Southeast on October 5, 2015, citing viewer confusion caused by the Fox Sports Networks' 2012 rebranding that replaced the "FS" with "Fox Sports" as a prefix for the regional outlets.[94][95] |
| Fox Sports Southwest | Texas Arkansas northernLouisiana parts ofNew Mexico | Home Sports Entertainment (1983–1994) Prime Sports Southwest (1994–1996) | 1996 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Southwest | |
| Fox Sports Sun | Florida | Sunshine Network (1988–2004) Sun Sports (2004–2015) | 1996 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Sun | Originally a Prime Network affiliate, Fox Sports and Liberty Media acquired the network in 1996. |
| Fox Sports Tennessee | Tennessee southernKentucky | 2008 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network South | Launched in 2008, as a sub-feed of Fox Sports South. Merged back upon Bally Sports rebrand. | |
| Fox Sports West | Southern California Southern Nevada Hawaii | Prime Ticket (original; 1985–1994) Prime Sports West (1994–1996) | 1996 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network West | Fox Sports West lost the broadcast rights to theLos Angeles Lakers after the2011–12 NBA season, as a result of a 20-year agreement withTime Warner Cable (nowCharter Communications) to broadcast the team's games onSpectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes, which both launched in October 2012;[96] Formerly held the rights to theLos Angeles Sparks and theLos Angeles Galaxy before losing them to Spectrum. |
| Fox Sports Wisconsin | Wisconsin westernUpper Peninsula of Michigan easternMinnesota northwestern Illinois Iowa | 2007 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin | Formerly operated as a sub-feed of Fox Sports North beginning in 1998, Fox Sports Wisconsin became a separate channel in 2008 after Fox Sports North acquired the broadcast rights to theMilwaukee Brewers. It is still considered a sub-feed of Fox Sports North in some markets, and carries Minnesota Wild and Minnesota United FC games, which air on the alternate feed if the main feed is otherwise occupied. Fox Sports Wisconsin maintains master control and certain back office operations shared with Fox Sports North at the latter channel's headquarters in Minneapolis, but maintains separate production operations based inMilwaukee. | |
| Prime Ticket | Southern California Southern Nevada Hawaii | Fox Sports West 2 (1997–2006) | 1997 | 2021 | FanDuel Sports Network SoCal | Prime Ticket airedLos Angeles Dodgers games from 1997 to 2013 when Fox lost the broadcast rights toSpectrum SportsNet LA, a joint venture between the team and Time Warner Cable that launched in April 2014.[97] |
| SportsTime Ohio | Ohio eastern Indiana Kentucky northwestern Pennsylvania southwestern New York | 2012 | 2021 | Defunct | Launched in 2006, after the Cleveland Indians declined to renew its broadcast contract with Fox Sports Ohio; Fox would eventually purchase the network on December 28, 2012. |
| Channel | Region served | Formerly operated as | Year joined or launched | Year left or closed | Currently operating as | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania West Virginia parts ofMaryland, Kentucky and Ohio | KBL Entertainment Network (1986–1995) Prime Sports KBL (1995–1996) | 1996 | 2021 | Acquired by Liberty Media in 2008 as part of an asset swap with then-Fox Sports owner News Corporation, these networks were spun off into theAT&T Sports Networks division ofDirecTV in 2009.[98] DirecTV's Fox Sports affiliates were rebranded as Root Sports on April 1, 2011, and all except Northwest later rebranded as AT&T SportsNet in 2017 afterAT&T acquired DirecTV two years earlier.[41]AT&T SportsNet Southwest is the only network in the group that does not air Bally Sports-sourced programming. | |
| AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain/Rocky Mountain West | Colorado New Mexico Nevada Utah Wyoming parts ofArizona,California,Idaho, Nebraska andSouth Dakota | Prime Sports Network (1988–1989) Prime Sports Network- Rocky Mountain (1989–1995) Prime Sports Rocky Mountain (1995–1996) Fox Sports Rocky Mountain (1996–2011) Root Sports Rocky Mountain (2011–2017) | 1996 | 2021 | defunct | Rebranded as SportsNet Rocky Mountain in October 2023, before ceasing operations on December 31, 2023.[99] |
| BayTV | San Francisco Bay Area | 1997 | 2000 | Defunct | Partially owned by TCI; signed a three-year affiliation agreement in March 1997 due to Cablevision's initial refusal to allow SportsChannel Pacific to carry FSN programming. Carried Fox Sports News,Pac-10 games and Thursday Night Baseball. Fox Sports News was moved to Fox Sports Bay Area in March 1998, but Pac-10 games continued to air on BayTV until January 2000. | |
| Comcast SportsNet Bay Area | Northern and central California northwesternNevada parts of southernOregon | Pacific Sports Network (PSN) (1989–1991) SportsChannel Bay Area (1990–1991) SportsChannel Pacific (1991–1998) Fox Sports Bay Area (1998–2008) | 1998 | 2012 | NBC Sports Bay Area | In April 2007, Cablevision sold its 60% interest in FSN Bay Area to Comcast. The network was rebranded as Comcast SportsNet Bay Area on March 31, 2008, and continued to carry select FSN programming until August 2012. Fox Sports sold its stake in the network to Comcast in April 2008. Continued affiliation as Comcast SportsNet Bay Area until 2012. Programming sometimes aired onComcast SportsNet California. |
| Comcast SportsNet Chicago | Northern Illinois northern Indiana eastern Iowa | 2006 | 2012 | defunct | Affiliated after closure of Fox Sports Chicago. Rebranded asNBC Sports Chicago on October 2, 2017.[100] NBC Sports Chicago discontinued service on September 30, 2024, following its loss of local broadcast rights to theBulls,Blackhawks andWhite Sox.[101] | |
| Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic | Maryland Virginia Washington, D.C. southern Pennsylvania easternWest Virginia southern Delaware | Home Team Sports (1984–2001) | 1997 | 2012 | Monumental Sports Network | Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic rebranded as NBC Sports Washington on October 2, 2017.[102] NBC Sports Washington rebranded as Monumental Sports Network on September 12, 2023.[103] |
| Comcast SportsNet New England | Massachusetts eastern and central Connecticut Vermont Maine New Hampshire Rhode Island | PRISM New England (1981–1983) SportsChannel New England (1983–1998) Fox Sports New England (1998–2007) | 2000 | 2012 | NBC Sports Boston | Rebranded in January 1998, along with the other former SportsChannel RSNs. Despite the new name, the network was blocked from affiliating with FSN until January 1, 2000, due to an existing agreement with the New England Sports Network. In April 2007, Cablevision sold its 50% interest in FSN New England to Comcast, effectively giving the latter full ownership of the channel. It was rebranded asComcast SportsNet New England on July 1, 2007, and continued to carry select FSN programming until August 2012. |
| Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia | EasternPennsylvania South Jersey Delaware | 1997 | 2012 | NBC Sports Philadelphia | ||
| Empire Sports Network | Upstate New York northern Pennsylvania eastern Ohio | 1996 | 2005 | Defunct | Previously a Prime Network affiliate, it became an FSN affiliate by default in 1996, though it did not use FSN branding. The channel was shuttered in 2005 (due to the bankruptcy of parent companyAdelphia) and was replaced byMSG Network and laterMSG Western New York. | |
| Fox Sports Chicago | Northern Illinois northern Indiana eastern Iowa | Sportsvision Chicago (1982–1989) SportsChannel Chicago (1989–1998) | 1998 | 2006 | Defunct | FSN Chicago served as the production hub for theChicago Sports Report,Ohio Sports Report andBay Area Sports Report (all of which were 50% owned by Rainbow Sports/Cablevision).NBC Sports Chicago aired FSN's national programming from 2006 until August 2012, and occupied FSN Chicago's former facilities at 350 North Orleans Street, which also houses the offices of theChicago Sun-Times. The formerChicago Sports Report set was purchased byNBC affiliateWREX inRockford, Illinois for use as that station's main news set. FSN Chicago shut down on June 23, 2006. |
| Marquee Sports Network | Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, parts of Wisconsin | 2020 | 2021 | Launched in 2020 and co-owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Chicago Cubs, restoring Fox Sports Network programming to the Chicago market after more than a five-year absence. | ||
| Mid-Atlantic Sports Network | Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware | 2013 | 2021 | Aired most Fox Sports-sourced programming on MASN2. | ||
| MSG Network | New York northern New Jersey northeast Pennsylvania southern Connecticut | 1998 | 2021 | After Cablevision became a partner in FSN and converted their SportsChannel networks to the FSN banner, MSG Network also became an FSN outlet, albeit keeping its own branding and graphics (a variant of the MSG logo of the time with a Fox Sports Net logo underneath was used on occasion). MSG carried FSN programming at different times to FSN New York and also contributed footage to FSN programs. (Prior to either MSG or SportsChannel New York, then-independent station WBIS-TV, nowWPXN-TV, carried FSN programming as part of its sports offerings.) | ||
| MSG Plus | New York northern New Jersey northeast Pennsylvania southern Connecticut | Cablevision Sports 3 (1976–1979) SportsChannel New York (1979–1998) Fox Sports New York (1998–2008) | 1998 | 2021 | MSG Sportsnet (MSGSN) | Operates as a sister network ofMSG Network; Owned byMSG Networks, aspin-off ofCablevision. Fox previously had partial ownership of the network. It was rebranded as MSG Plus on March 10, 2008.[104][105] Starting in 2013, MSG Plus aired a reduced schedule of Fox Sports programming, with certain other programs airing on YES Network. MSG Plus was rebranded as MSG Sportnet (MSGSN) on September 26, 2022.[106] |
| New England Sports Network | Massachusetts, eastern and central Connecticut,Vermont,Maine,New Hampshire andRhode Island | 1996 | 1999 | SportsChannel New England rebranded to Fox Sports New England in January 1998, but carried no FSN national programming until NESN's contract expired on December 31, 1999. | ||
| Root Sports Northwest | Washington Alaska Montana Oregon Western Idaho | Northwest Cable Sports (1988–1989) Prime Sports Northwest (1989–1996) Fox Sports Northwest (1996–2011) | 1996 | 2021 | ||
| Root Sports Utah | Utah | Prime Sports Network- Utah (1989–1990) Prime Sports Network- Intermountain West (1991–1995) Prime Sports Intermountain West (1995–1996) Fox Sports Utah (1996–2011) | 1996 | 2017 | Merged into AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain | |
| Wisconsin Sports Channel | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Sports Network (1996–1997) | 1997 | 1997 | FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin | Merged into Midwest Sports Channel (later known as Fox Sports North) and then split again to form Fox Sports Wisconsin |
| YES Network | New York northernNew Jersey northeast Pennsylvania southernConnecticut | 2013 | 2021 | Launched in 2002, News Corporation acquired a 49% stake in YES in November 2012, in a deal that included an option to allow the company to expand its interest in the network to 80% within three years.[42] The option carried over to 21st Century Fox, following its founding through the subsequent 2013spin-off of News Corporation's entertainment assets, which exercised the option for Fox Sports to acquire 80% majority control of YES (with the network's founding parent Yankees Global Enterprises retaining the remaining 20%) in January 2014.[43] YES later began carrying Fox Sports-sourced programming in September 2013; prior to the Fox Sports purchase, YES had carried select Yankees game telecasts over-the-air broadcast on Fox-ownedMyNetworkTV stationWWOR-TV and the Tribune-owned stationWPIX. On December 14, 2017,The Walt Disney Company announced their intent toacquire 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion after the spin-off of certain businesses to a "New Fox" company, while the acquisition was originally slated to include Fox Sports' regional operations, theJustice Department ordered their divestment under antitrust grounds, citing Disney's ownership ofESPN. Yankee Global Enterprises invoked a clause the rights to buy their stake of the YES Network back following the acquisition from Disney. On March 8, 2019, it was reported that the Yankees had reached a deal to re-purchase Fox's share in the network for $3.5 billion, withSinclair Broadcast Group,Amazon.com andThe Blackstone Group holding minority shares. |
From its inception in 1997 until July 31, 2012,Comcast maintained an agreement to carry select programming sourced from Fox Sports Net on its sixComcast SportsNet regional networks:Comcast SportsNet Bay Area,Comcast SportsNet California,Comcast SportsNet Chicago,Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic,Comcast SportsNet New England andComcast SportsNet Philadelphia.[107]
This deal stemmed from the circumstances surrounding the 1997 launch of the original Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia, where Rainbow's regional sports networkSportsChannel Philadelphia, and sister premium servicePRISM (which offered a mix of sports and movies) were seemingly gutted by Comcast's acquisition ofSpectacor—owner of thePhiladelphia Flyers—and a stake in thePhiladelphia 76ers, with plans to launch their own network,[108][109][110] only for Rainbow to join Fox and Liberty, possibly meaning SportsChannel and PRISM would become FSN affiliates instead.[111][112] Ultimately, the potential issues were settled in a deal that saw PRISM and SportsChannel's local coverage move to Comcast SportsNet, which would then become an FSN affiliate, while PRISM was replaced by Liberty's premium movie networkStarz!.[113][114][115][116]
Most of Fox Sports Networks' other programming was later carried in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. markets on MASN2. Select games were also shown onCox Communications local origination channels (later brandedYurView), mostly in Rhode Island and Virginia. The Cox networks were exclusive to their cable systems.
At least two times in its history Fox Sports Net, partnered withbroadcast TV stations to fill coverage gaps in markets where it did not have an affiliated regional sports network. Upon its launch, Fox Sports Net did not have an outlet in New York, the nation's largest media market (Cablevision's SportsChannel would not merge into Fox Sports until the following year). To overcome this obstacle, Fox Sports Net paidWBIS-TV $30 million to broadcast games and nightly news shows for the next five years. WBIS-TV itself was a new station that launched on July 1, 1996, whenDow Jones & Company andITT Corporation purchased it from theCity of New York. The Fox Sports programming complimented its "S+" format which combined sports programming and business news.[117]
From September 2012 to September 2013, Fox syndicated select college football and basketball games produced by the Fox Sports regional networks to broadcast television stations in some of the markets where the aforementioned Comcast SportsNet had dropped coverage. These stations includedWLVI (Boston),KICU-TV (San Francisco),WMCN-TV (Philadelphia) andWDCA (Washington, D.C.).
Fox Sports Networks also operatedFox College Sports (FCS), a slate of three digital cable channels (Fox College Sports Atlantic, Fox College Sports Central and Fox College Sports Pacific) featuring programming divided by region (primarily collegiate and high school sports, as well as minor league sports events) from each individual FSN network; the FCS networks also carry each affiliate's regional sports news programs and non-news-and-event programming (such as coaches shows, team magazines and documentaries). The three networks were, more or less, condensed versions of the 22 FSN-affiliated networks (including Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic), though the channels also showed international events that did not fit within the programming inventories of FSN orFox Soccer Plus (and prior to 2013, the latter's now-defunct parentFox Soccer), such as theCommonwealth Games,World University Games and theFINA World Swimming Championships.
The three FCS channels offered FSN feeds from the following channels, including liveBig 12 Conference football,Pac-12 Conference football and basketball andAtlantic Coast Conference basketball games. The channels also rebroadcast shows originally produced by and shown on the following listed networks:
Fox College Sports also broadcast high school andIndependent Women's Football League games, and college magazine and coach's shows. Fox College Sports formerly partnered withBig Ten Network to provide programming.
All of the Fox Sports Networks regional affiliates maintainedhigh-definition simulcast feeds presented in720p (the default resolution format for 21st Century Fox's broadcast and pay television properties). All sports programming broadcast on each of the networks (including most team-related analysis and discussion programs, and non-event amateur sports programs) was broadcast in a format optimized for 16:9 widescreen displays, with graphics framed within a widescreen safe area rather than the 4:3 safe area, intended to be shown in a letterboxed format for standard definition viewers.
The programming strategy adopted by most of the Fox Sports Networks was to acquire theplay-by-play broadcast rights to major sports teams in their regional market. This did not include NFL games, since the league's contracts require all games to be aired on broadcast television in each participating team's local markets. Therefore, FSN focused on other major professional leagues, like the MLB, NHL, NBA and WNBA.
In addition to local play-by-play coverage, the FSN networks also broadcast and producedpre-game shows, post-game shows and weekly "magazine" shows centered on the teams that maintained rights with the individual network. In some markets, FSN competed directly with other regional sports networks for the broadcast rights to team-specific programming. FSN networks also purchased shows orbroker time slots for sports and outdoors programming from outside producers in their region to fill out their schedule further, with Fox Sports purchasing additional programming for national airing. Finally, low-trafficked late night and early morning timeslots were programmed locally withpaid programming.
Also, FSN competed directly with ESPN in acquiring the conference rights to various collegiate sports events. One notable agreement was that with thePac-12 Conference, in which packages offootball and men's basketball regular season games were broadcast across all FSN networks within the regions served by each Pac-12 member university. Fox Sports Networks broadcast the majority of thePac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament, except the tournament final, as well as a few Pac-12 matches from other conference-sanctioned sports (such as baseball and volleyball).
Besides play-by-play game rights, FSN provided a common set of programming that was available to all its regional sports networks, most notablyThe Dan Patrick Show,The Best Damn Sports Show Period andFinal Score (TBDSSP andFinal Score eventually ceased production, whileThe Dan Patrick Show later moved to theNBC Sports Network). Until August 2012, in some of regions served by that RSN, member channels of the competing Comcast SportsNet (as mentioned above) carried FSN programming through broadcast agreements with Fox Sports.
Fox Sports Networks' national sports telecasts were formerly marketed under the "FSN" brand; these national programs began to use more generic branding with fewer references to FSN or Fox in 2008, as a result of a number of Fox Sports Net affiliates being rebranded or realigned with other RSN chains (includingFSN New England andFSN Bay Area, which both became part of Comcast SportsNet; FSN New York's relaunch asMSG Plus, the sister toMSG Network; and the eventual relaunch of several FSN affiliates acquired by DirecTV Sports Networks under the Root Sports brand); however, these networks later reverted to utilizing Fox branding on their FSN-syndicated broadcasts.
In addition to regional programming, the Fox Sports Networks carried some prime time programming distributed to all of the regional networks (including past and present series such asThe Best Damn Sports Show Period andChris Myers Interviews). FSN tried to compete with ESPN in regards to original programming, most notably with theNational Sports Report, a daily sports news program designed to compete with ESPN'sSportsCenter, which debuted on FSN in 1996. Originally a two-hour program known asFox Sports News, the running time ofNational Sports Report was steadily cut back (eventually dwindling to 30 minutes) as its ratings declined and the cost of producing the program increased. FSN hired popular formerSportsCenter anchorKeith Olbermann and used him to promote the show heavily; ratings continued to slide (especially asBest Damn Sports Show Period's popularity increased), however, leading Fox Sports to cancel theNational Sports Report, which aired its last edition in February 2002.
In some markets, FSN aired theRegional Sports Report (whose headline title was usually customized with the name of the region in which the particular program was broadcast, such as theMidwest Sports Report orDetroit Sports Report), a companion news program focusing primarily on regional sports as well as highlights and news on other sports teams that debuted in 2000 to complement theNational Sports Report; many of the regional reports were cancelled in 2002 due to increasing costs of producing the individual programs.[118]
Most of the national studio programming seen on FSN originated from theFox Television Center inHollywood, California; in 1998, operations moved to the new Fox Network Center, located on the 20th Century Fox backlot inCentury City. Some programming was instead produced from the FSN headquarters in theWestwood district.
In addition, FSN aired an extensive lineup of poker shows, includingPoker Superstars Invitational Tournament andMansionPoker.net PokerDome Challenge. TheWorld Poker Tour began broadcasting on FSN with its seventh season. It recently concluded airing its 15th season.
FSN distributed its firstpay-per-view event on November 10, 2006, aboxing match in which formerheavyweight championEvander Holyfield defeatedFres Oquendo in a unanimous decision at theAlamodome inSan Antonio, Texas. The fight was alsostreamed free of charge on the FoxSports.com website outside the United States.
FSN also provided pay-per-view coverage of selectcollege football games. These were usually early-season games, and would feature either aBig 12 orSEC team against a lesser-known opponent. The pay-per-view coverage of SEC games ended upon the launch of theSEC Network in 2014, and most Big 12 schools phased out pay-per-view telecasts around this time as well.Oklahoma was the last school to feature select games on pay-per-view, doing so through 2021.
In February 2008, FSN launched apublic service initiative called "Americans in Focus", with the sponsorship support ofFarmers Insurance. This initiative consists of one-minute vignettes profiling non-white persons, with segments airing on the FSN networks in February 2008 and 2009 duringBlack History Month, from September 15 to October 15, 2008, forHispanic Heritage Month and in March 2009 forAsian Pacific American Heritage Month. TheAmericans in Focus vignettes and the companion sub-site on the Fox Sports website were discontinued in April 2009.
