As they team up with the Penguins on the recently formed local sports network, SportsNet Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Pirates are generating headlines. The Fenway group owns the channel, which Pittsburgh Pirates supporters will increasingly turn on for news and game updates. The channel took the place of Pittsburgh SportsNet from AT&T.
SportsNet Pittsburgh, the go-to channel for Pirates and Penguins enthusiasts, is poised to bring a fresh perspective to sports broadcasting. Following the pattern set by the Penguins, there will be changes in the broadcast team. According to reports from Jason Mackey, former pitcher Steven Brault, and shortstop Jordy Mercer are among the potential candidates for new roles in the broadcasts. In his post, Mackey also brings up some of the members of the broadcast team who will be returning to the station.
This relocation ushers in a new era for Pittsburgh Pirates supporters as well as a change in broadcasting outlets. The majority of a team’s revenue comes from television deals, and because of the size of their market, the Bucs are normally towards the bottom of that spectrum. However, one would assume that the payout will remain rather substantial.
One would assume that it is, at minimum, a comparable agreement to the last one, which was estimated to be worth about $50 million annually. ideally a little bit more! We’ll have to wait and see exactly what Mackey means when they say that the channel will be jointly owned. Given that the channel was purchased by the Fenway Sports Group, how do the Pittsburgh Pirates fit into it?
This development is a reflection of a topic that has been extensively debated in the past year. Many teams lost their broadcast contracts for a variety of reasons, such as fans switching to more streaming services and cutting their cable subscriptions, or corporations failing and not being able to fulfil their contractual obligations to the team. With the Fenway group in charge, a top-notch production and all-encompassing viewing experience are anticipated from the channel. With a presumably improved viewing experience, SportsNet Pittsburgh will essentially be the same channel as the prior carriers.
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