Sportsnet Pittsburgh

SportsNet Pittsburgh is an American regional sports network owned by the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is operated by sister network NESN through common ownership with Fenway Sports Group. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the channel broadcasts local coverage of sports events throughout Greater Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania. It is the exclusive home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The channel was first launched by Tele-Communications Inc in April 1986 as the KBL Entertainment Network, which featured a mixture of sports and entertainment programming. After being transferred to TCI subsidiary Liberty Media, KBL was rebranded as part of its Prime Sports chain of regional sports networks in 1994, and subsequently became a charter member of Fox Sports Net upon its establishment in 1996. 
After a corporate restructuring that brought Liberty's networks under DirecTV, the channel was rebranded as Root Sports Pittsburgh in 2011, and then AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh after DirecTV was acquired by AT&T. In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would sell or shut down its regional sports networks: in August 2023, it was announced that the Penguins would acquire the network and rebrand it as SportsNet Pittsburgh in October 2023, with NESN—a sister via the Penguins' owner Fenway Sports Group—assuming day-to-day operations.
As of August 2013, SportsNet Pittsburgh is available on cable providers throughout nearly all of Pennsylvania (outside the Philadelphia market), almost all of West Virginia, western Maryland, eastern Ohio, southwestern border areas of New York and Ashland, Kentucky, reaching more than 2.4 million homes; it is also available in the Columbus, Ohio, market through DirecTV Stream, though Penguins broadcasts are blacked out due to the presence of the Columbus Blue Jackets. It is also available nationwide on satellite via DirecTV.
==History==
The channel launched on April 13, 1986, as Pirates Cable Network, exclusively serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area; its first sports event telecast on that date was a Major League Baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs from Three Rivers Stadium, announced by Mike Lange, in which the Pirates shut out the Cubs, 8–0.
The network commenced full-time broadcasts on April 24, 1986, as the KBL Entertainment Network, in order to allow other sports besides the Pirates to be included on the network. Its first regular broadcast was a Pirates home game against the New York Mets. The network was initially owned by Tele-Communications Inc. (now part of Comcast), then the largest cable television provider in the Pittsburgh market. KBL quickly expanded its cable coverage. As early as May 9, 1986, its cable footprint roughly approximated its present six-state coverage area.
While it primarily carried sports-related programming, KBL also served as a general entertainment cable channel while under TCI ownership, essentially filling the void left after independent station WPGH-TV (channel 53) became a charter affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company seven months after KBL's debut. It aired children's programming for part of the day, including reruns of the John Candy animated series Camp Candy.
In 1994, TCI transferred the channel to its corporate parent Liberty Media; KBL then immediately dropped all entertainment programming and converted the renamed Prime Sports KBL into an affiliate of Prime SportsChannel America, a partnership between Liberty's Prime Network and the Cablevision/NBC-owned SportsChannel America regional sports network groups. In 1995, Prime Network's retail subsidiary, Prime Sports Merchandising, purchased some sports apparel stores located inside shopping malls and rebranded them as Prime Sports Shops, promoting them on its networks including KBL.
thumb|right|250px|Map of SportsNet Pittsburgh coverage area, taken during its tenure as a Fox Sports Networks-branded outlet.
In 1996, News Corporation, which formed a sports division for the Fox network two years earlier after it obtained the broadcast rights to the National Football Conference and sought to create a group of regional sports networks, acquired a 50% interest in the Prime Network from TCI parent Liberty Media. Later that year on November 1, News Corporation and Liberty Media relaunched the Prime Network affiliates as part of the new Fox Sports Net group, with Prime Sports KBL officially rebranding as Fox Sports Pittsburgh. The deal temporarily ended the Prime SportsChannel partnership, although News Corporation subsequently acquired most of the SportsChannel networks the following year; the retail stores, meanwhile, retained the "Prime Sports" name for many years after the rebranding of the regional networks as part of Fox Sports Net. The channel was rebranded as Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh 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 to FSN Pittsburgh, through the networks' de-emphasis of the "Fox Sports Net" brand.
On December 22, 2006, News Corporation sold its interest in FSN Pittsburgh and sister networks FSN Utah, FSN Northwest and FSN Rocky Mountain to Liberty Media, in an asset trade in which News Corporation also traded its 38.5% ownership stake in satellite provider DirecTV for $550 million in cash and stock, in exchange for Liberty Media's 16.3% stake in the company. On May 4, 2009, DirecTV Group Inc. announced it would become a part of Liberty's entertainment unit, part of which would then be spun 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 owner John Malone and his family owning a 24% interest. DirecTV would operate its newly acquired FSN-affiliated networks through DirecTV Sports Networks, a new division formed when the split off from Liberty Media was completed on November 19, 2009.
On December 17, 2010, DirecTV Sports Networks announced that its four Fox Sports Networks-affiliated regional outlets would be relaunched under the "Root Sports" brand. The network officially rebranded as Root Sports Pittsburgh on April 1, 2011, coinciding with the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. For nominal purposes, the Root Sports networks continued to carry programming distributed mainly to the Fox Sports regional networks to provide supplementary sports and entertainment programming. On April 8, 2016, DirecTV Sports Networks rebranded under the AT&T name as AT&T Sports Networks.
On June 12, 2017, AT&T Sports Networks announced that the network, along with Root Sports Southwest, and Root Sports Rocky Mountain, would rebrand as AT&T SportsNet with the channel becoming AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh. All network programming and on-air talent remained intact, with the exception of Paul Steigerwald, who was replaced in October 2017 by Steve Mears as the play-by-play announcer of the Penguins. The name change took effect on July 14, 2017.
In July 2019, it was reported that AT&T was looking to sell its regional sports networks to reduce debt related to its acquisition of Time Warner, as well as rolling out 5G on its cell phone networks. Two potential suitors included Sinclair Broadcast Group, which had acquired Fox Sports Networks (with Entertainment Studios) amid the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney (and already had a decades-long presence in the Pittsburgh market as the owners of WPGH-TV/WPNT), as well as NBCUniversal, which owns regional networks via its NBC Sports division, and whose parent company Comcast is the cable provider in Pittsburgh.
On October 1, 2021, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, along with sister networks AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, and Root Sports Northwest, was removed from Dish Network satellite and Sling streaming TV services. 
On February 24, 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to exit the RSN business, informing the teams that AT&T Sports Networks would file for chapter 7 bankruptcy unless deals were made for them to exit or take over the channels. Root Sports Northwest was not affected, as it is majority-owned by the Seattle Mariners. While originally setting a deadline of March 31, it later reached an agreement to keep the networks operational through at least the end of the 2023 Major League Baseball season. The Athletic noted that Penguins owner Fenway Sports Group had experience in the RSN business via its operation of NESN in Boston, and reported that the channel could be integrated with or replaced by a local feed of NESN. 
On August 28, 2023, it was reported that the Penguins had reached an agreement to acquire AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh. Whether or not the Pirates will participate in the network under FSG ownership was considered unclear, due to it being parent company of a competing MLB team, the Boston Red Sox; it was reported that the Pirates were considering negotiating with the new owners to remain on the channel, but were more likely to assign its regional rights to Major League Baseball's local media division (as the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks had done after Bally Sports was stripped of broadcast rights to the teams amid its bankruptcy). Two days later, it was announced that the network would be acquired by Fenway Sports Group via the Pittsburgh Penguins, and would be rebranded as SportsNet Pittsburgh on October 2. NESN will handle the day-to-day operations of the network.
==Programming==
SportsNet Pittsburgh carries Pittsburgh Penguins hockey and area collegiate and high school sports programming. To fill out its schedule outside various local sports, the network also carries syndicated sports events, documentary and magazine programs including outdoor programming, pro footvolley, kickboxing, poker, MMA, boxing, golf programming, sports betting programs, Sports Stars of Tomorrow and In Depth with Graham Bensinger.
===Professional sports===
====Pittsburgh Penguins====
SportsNet Pittsburgh maintains exclusive regional rights to most regular season and any early-round Stanley Cup playoff games involving the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins; it also carries Penguins-related programs such as classic game re-airs, Penguins Instant Replay, Inside Penguins Hockey, Penguins Game Plan, Pens Pulse, and In The Room.
On April 27, 2011, the network reached a contract extension with the Penguins, allowing the network to continue carrying most of the team's NHL game telecasts through the end of the 2028–29 NHL season.
====Pittsburgh Pirates====
Through the 2023 season, the network held the regional cable television rights to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball, carrying over 150 regular season and Spring training games annually, as well as pre- and postgame coverage, rebroadcasts of recent games (as part of Pirates Instant Replay) and the team analysis program Inside Pirates Baseball presented by Allegheny Health Network.The official medical provider of the Pittsburgh Pirates and fans like you.
From the 2013 to 2018 seasons, Sportsnet's telecasts of Pirates games were blacked out on DirecTV in many portions of the Pirates' claimed territory, including the Columbus, Ohio, market, for reasons not released publicly. Despite the blackout, DirecTV did not allow Pirates games to be shown in the blacked-out area on its MLB Extra Innings package. The blackout was lifted in time for the 2019 season. With the sale of the network to Fenway Sports Group, it is unknown if the Pirates will return to SportsNet Pittsburgh in 2024.
====Pittsburgh Steelers====
The network formerly served as the cable home of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, broadcasting team-related magazine and analysis programs such as weekly press conferences held by coach Mike Tomlin during the regular season and the team coach's show The Mike Tomlin Show (both were hosted by Stan Savran). This continued through the 2016 season. KDKA-TV now airs The Mike Tomlin Show, while Tomlin's Tuesday press conference is no longer televised live. Although regular Steelers coverage is no longer part of the network’s lineup, team documentary programming continues to air from time to time, usually focused on historical figures such as Art Rooney and Chuck Noll.
===Minor league sports===
====Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins====
The network currently serves as the cable home of the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, broadcasting weekend home games during the regular season. Prior to the network acquiring the rights to the games, the team had no television coverage in either Pittsburgh's or Wilkes-Barre's DMAs.
===College sports===
==== Duquesne Dukes ====
The network has served as the regional home of Duquesne Dukes men’s and women’s basketball several times throughout its 30+-year history. In fall of 2023, live telecasts of men's and women's basketball returned to the channel after a 5-year hiatus. Sportsnet has also aired coaches shows for both basketball teams since the fall of 2017.
==== Mountain East Conference ====
Sportsnet airs live coverage of the annual Division II Mountain East Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments, as well as occasional regular season broadcasts of football and basketball, the most recent of which being a Thursday night football contest between West Virginia State and Frostburg State on October 19, 2023.
==== West Virginia Mountaineers ====
SportsNet Pittsburgh formerly carried the exclusive rights to the West Virginia Mountaineers, carrying all football and men's basketball games not picked up by a national network, as well as select women's basketball games, select other live events (women's soccer, baseball, etc.), and the football team's weekly Tuesday press conferences. Although the network lost rights to the live events portion of their WVU coverage to ESPN+ beginning with the 2020-2021 season, a coaches show involving all Mountaineer sports and Mountaineer Gameday Live, a live pregame show for Mountaineer football and men’s basketball, still air on the channel.
==== College Hockey ====
Sportsnet airs NCAA men's and women's college ice hockey from various schools, including local coverage of the Robert Morris Colonials.
==== Pittsburgh Panthers ====
The network formerly carried football, men's and women's basketball, and other events featuring the Pittsburgh Panthers, which were produced first by ESPN Regional Television and later by Fox Sports South and Raycom Sports once the Panthers moved to the ACC. Additionally, the network aired a number of Panthers-related insider programming, including Pat Narduzzi’s weekly press conferences, The Pat Narduzzi Show with Larry Richert, and the magazine program Beyond The Script, which was hosted by the network’s Rob King. The partnership ended following the 2020-21 athletic year.
===High school & youth sports===
West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission high school football, baseball, softball, and boys' and girls' basketball championship games, as well as occasional broadcasts of regular-season WVSSAC football contests, are carried by SportsNet Pittsburgh.
The network is the regional home of the annual PONY League World Series, which is held locally in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Former Pirates' play-by-play announcer Lanny Frattare calls most games.
Until 2019, Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League regular season, playoff, and championship football games were a network staple. WPCW took over the rights to all 6 championship games in 2018, and the rights to additional playoff and regular season games in 2019.
===Studio Programming===
The network provides live pre- and postgame coverage for all Penguins games, including games aired on other networks. With the sale of the network to Fenway Sports Group, pre- and postgame coverage has been expanded from 30 minutes to an hour before and after each game as of October 2023.
Since 2021, SportsNet has served as the local affiliate of VSIN's Follow The Money, a 3-hour sports betting program that airs weekdays from 7-10am. Additional content from VSIN was added in the fall of 2023, including The Lombardi Line and Musburger Pregame. Previously, the network aired simulcasts of Audience Network's The Rich Eisen Show and The Dan Patrick Show in similar time slots.
Throughout the previous 2 decades, locally-produced studio programming has been drastically reduced from nightly programs to pre- and postgame coverage only. Savran on SportsBeat, Pittsburgh Sports Tonight, and live Steelers coverage are just some of the local studio shows that were cancelled during the network’s ownership under Liberty Media in the late 2000s. Nationally-distributed Fox Sports studio shows also aired in both live and tape-delay until they were moved to Fox Sports 1 upon its 2013 launch.
==On-air staff==
===Current on-air staff===
====Pittsburgh Penguins====
* Josh Getzoff - Play-by-play announcer
* Colby Armstrong - color commentator
* Hailey Hunter - rinkside reporter
* Dan Potash - studio anchor/rinkside reporter (select games)
* Jay Caufield - studio analyst
* Mike Rupp - studio analyst/color commentator (select games)
* Bryan Trottier - studio analyst
* Matt Bartkowski - studio analyst
==== Duquesne Dukes ====
* Tim Benz - Play-by-play announcer, coach's show host
* Ellis Cannon - color commentator
====Studio anchors====
* Dan Potash
* Hailey Hunter
* Rob King
* Aly Cohen
* Robby Incmikoski
===Notable former on-air staff===
==== Pittsburgh Penguins ====
* Mike Lange – play-by-play announcer (later with the Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network; now retired)
* Paul Steigerwald – play-by-play annnouncer (now with the communications and marketing department of the Penguins' front office)
* Bob Errey – color commentator
* Peter Taglianetti – color commentator
* Eddie Olczyk – color commentator (now with NHL on TNT and Root Sports Northwest)
* Steve Mears – play by play announcer (now with Penguins Radio Network)
====Pittsburgh Pirates====
* Greg Brown – play-by-play announcer
* Joe Block - play-by-play announcer
* Tim Neverett – play-by-play announcer (now with the Los Angeles Dodgers)
* Lanny Frattare – play-by-play announcer (semi-retired, currently the play-by-play announcer for PONY League World Series telecasts)
* John Wehner - color commentator
* Bob Walk - color commentator
* Neil Walker - color commentator
* Kevin Young - color commentator
* Matt Capps - color commentator
* Steve Blass – color commentator (retired after 2019 Pirates' season)
* Michael McKenry - color commentator and studio analyst
* Ken Macha – studio analyst
* Kent Tekulve – studio analyst (retired after 2017 Pirates' season)
* Lacee Collins – field reporter
==== West Virginia University ====
* Warren Baker – men's basketball color commentator (now with ESPN+)
* Mark Bulger – football color commentator
* Mike Logan – football color commentator
* Rasheed Marshall – football color commentator
* Meg Bulger – football sideline reporter
==== High School Football ====
* Chris Schneider – color commentator
* Craig Wolfley – color commentator (now with Pittsburgh Steelers Radio Network)
* Rich Walsh – sideline reporter (now with KDKA-TV)
==== Studio Anchors & Analysts ====
*Stan Savran – host of SportsBeat (died in June 2023)
*Guy Junker – co-host of SportsBeat (later with WTAE-TV; now Pirates public address announcer)
* Paul Alexander – now with KDKA-AM & KDKA-FM
* Ryan Burr – now with the Golf Channel
* Trenni Casey – now with NBC Sports Boston
* Marshall Harris – now with WBBM-TV in Chicago
* Brent Stover – now with Big Ten Network
==References==
==External links==
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Category:National Hockey League on television