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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | San Francisco Bay Area Sacramento Northern California Greater Los Angeles San Diego Southern California (via NBCSports) Portions ofOregon WesternNevada National (via satellite) |
| Network | NBC Sports Regional Networks |
| Headquarters | San Francisco |
| Programming | |
| Languages | English Spanish (viaSAP) |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | NBC Sports Group |
| Sister channels | Cable/satellite: NBC Sports Bay Area Broadcast: KNTV/San Jose KSTS/San Francisco KCSO/Sacramento KNBC/Los Angeles KVEA/Corona |
| History | |
| Launched | October 2004 (2004-10)[specify] |
| Former names | Comcast SportsNet West (2004–2008) Comcast SportsNet California (2008–2017) |
| Links | |
| Website | www.nbcsportscalifornia.com |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Peacock | peacocktv (U.S. internet subscribers in eligible area only; requires add-on to subscription to access content) |
| DirecTV Stream | Internet Protocol television |
| YouTubeTV | Internet Protocol television |
| Hulu Live | Internet Protocol television |
| FuboTV | Internet Protocol television |
NBC Sports California (sometimes abbreviated asNBCS California) is an Americanregional sports network owned by theNBC Sports Group unit ofNBCUniversal, and operates as an affiliate ofNBC Sports Regional Networks. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional and college sports events throughoutNorthern California, as well as original sports-related news, discussion and entertainment programming.
NBC Sports California is available on cable andfiber optic television providers throughout northern and southern California, and portions ofOregon and westernNevada. It is also available nationwide onsatellite viaDirecTV. The network maintains main studios and offices headquartered with sister networkNBC Sports Bay Area inSan Francisco, California.
In summer 2003, Comcast acquired the regional television rights to broadcast regular-season and early-round playoff games from theSacramento Kings. Previously, the team's game broadcasts were only available either viapay-per-view sports packages and on an alternate feed of then Cablevision-ownedSportsChannel Bay Area. As a result, Comcast created a new regional sports network to broadcast the team's games; the network launched asComcast SportsNet West in October 2004, coinciding with the start of the Kings'regular season.
Although the network originally focused on theNorthern California region, it began expanding its coverage to serve as a complement to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. This began with the network's rebranding toComcast SportsNet California in September 2008; it subsequently became the official broadcaster of theOakland Athletics (which previously broadcast their games on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, in addition to theSan Francisco Giants) for the2009 Major League Baseball season, broadcasting 145 regular-season games that year (an increase by 37 telecasts from the 2008 season).[1] TheSan Jose Sharks followed the A's from CSN Bay Area for the2009–10 NHL season, seeing a similar increase in game broadcasts with 75 games being shown overall (50 of which were televised inhigh definition).[2] With the relaunch, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and California merged editorial coverage on their respective regional websites. Many cable providers in theSan Francisco Bay Area that previously carried CSN California viadigital cable have since moved the network to basic cable tiers.
In September 2009, CSN California's carriage agreement withDish Network expired; however, the satellite provider continued to carry the network in the interim while the two parties attempted to reach a renewed contract. Negotiations went on for months, leading Dish to file a request with theFederal Communications Commission to enter into arbitration hearings to formalize a deal. Dish Network lost its case and dropped Comcast SportsNet California from its lineup on November 24, 2010.[3] On February 3, 2011, Dish Network restored CSN California after the satellite provider reached an agreement to carry the channel without any legal arbitration.[4]
In September 2012, Comcast SportsNet California and its sister Comcast SportsNet outlets ceased carrying Fox Sports Networks-supplied programming, after failing to reach an agreement to continue carrying FSN's nationally distributed programs.[5]
In July 2014, CSN California reached a new 20-year deal for regional rights to the Sacramento Kings beginning in the 2013–14 season, estimated to be worth nearly $700 million over the length of the contract. The contract increased the number of games CSN broadcasts per-season from 70 to 80 over the previous season (where a package was syndicated to terrestrial television), saw the network take over advertising sales during the telecasts, and commit to broadcasting an increased amount of team-related programming (including pre- and post-game shows, and a monthlyKings Central program).[6][7]
On March 22, 2017, Comcast announced that CSN California would be rebrandedNBC Sports California on April 2, 2017, in a move meant to "better associate the prestigious NBC Sports legacy with the strength of our Comcast Sports Networks' local sports coverage in Northern California".[8]
NBC Sports California holds the regional cable television rights to theAthletics ofMajor League Baseball, theNHL'sSan Jose Sharks, and theNBA'sSacramento Kings. The network produces itspre-game andpost-game shows for the Sacramento Athletics either on-site during home games, or on theSportsNet Central set at the NBC Sports Bay Area studios during road games. The station also airsShark Byte, a magazine program focusing on the San Jose Sharks that originated on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
The network also simulcasts NBC Sports Bay Area-produced telecasts of games involving theSan Francisco Giants Major League Baseball franchise and theSan Jose Earthquakes ofMajor League Soccer. The network also carries games from theSan Jose Barracuda of theAmerican Hockey League. It formerly broadcast games from theWNBA'sSacramento Monarchs until the team folded in 2009; theSacramento Mountain Lions from 2009 until theUnited Football League folded; thePASL'sStockton Cougars until that team folded in 2011, and theAFL'sSan Jose SaberCats. The network also carries programming related to theNFL'sLas Vegas Raiders in a carryover from when the team played in Oakland.
NBC Sports California also televises college sports involving Northern California schools, includingSt. Mary's College, theUniversity of San Francisco, theUniversity of the Pacific, andSanta Clara University. The channel formerly broadcast sporting events involving theCalifornia Golden Bears andStanford Cardinal that were not on national television until the formation of thePac-12 Network in August 2012. Select high school sports events are also occasionally broadcast on the network, including weeklyhigh school football games on Friday nights during the fall.[9]
NBC Sports California currently carries the NBC Sports Bay Area original programChronicle Live, a sports discussion program produced in conjunction with theSan Francisco Chronicle, each weeknight at 12:00 a.m. The network also carries a live video simulcast ofTheGary Radnich Show (hosted by the longtime sports anchor atMyNetworkTV affiliateKRON-TV) fromKNBR (680 and 1050 AM) in San Francisco each weekday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., except on rare occasions when it is pre-empted by a live sporting event on either outlet. NBC Sports California previously also broadcast the "Raiders Report", a weekly show featuring news and game highlights on theOakland Raiders. In September 2009, the program was replaced by a live post-game show airing immediately after network telecasts of Raiders games.
NBC Sports California HD is a1080ihigh-definition simulcast feed of Comcast SportsNet California. The feed broadcasts all Sacramento Kings home game telecasts, as well as all home and some road games involving the San Jose Sharks in HD. In 2010, CSN California began broadcasting all Athletics games in high definition.[10]
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