Root Sports Pittsburgh
| Root Sports Pittsburgh | |
|---|---|
| Launched | April 24, 1986 (as KBL) |
| Network | Fox Sports Net |
| Owned by | DirecTV Sports Networks |
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Pittsburgh and all of Western, Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania, all of West Virginia except the eastern panhandle counties (metro D.C.), eastern and southeastern Ohio, western Maryland and the extreme eastern counties of Kentucky (see Armstrong Group Cable) Nationally via Satellite |
| Formerly called | KBL Entertainment Network (1986–1994) Prime Sports KBL (1994–1996) Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh (1996–2004) FSN Pittsburgh (2004–2011) |
| Website | http://pittsburgh.rootsports.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | 659 (SD/HD) |
| Dish Network | 428 (SD+HD for selected programming) |
| Cable | |
| Available on select cable systems | Check local listings for channels |
Root Sports Pittsburgh (formerly FSN Pittsburgh) is a regional sports network owned and operated by DirecTV Sports Networks. The channel first aired in the Pittsburgh metro area on April 24, 1986 as KBL with the season opener of the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Mets from Three Rivers Stadium and expanded close to its modern day six-state broadcast area on May 9, 1986. It was initially owned by Prime Network. It was a network of Prime SportsChannel America when Prime and SportsChannel America merged. In 1996, News Corporation bought out Prime SportsChannel and changed KBL to Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh.
In 2006, News Corporation transitioned FSN Pittsburgh to Liberty Media, in a stock swap between the two companies of the DirecTV stock.[citation needed]
On May 4, 2009, The DirecTV Group Inc. said it would become a part of Liberty's entertainment unit, part of which would then be spun off as a separate company called DirecTV which would own FSN Pittsburgh.[1]
In December 2010, the name "Root Sports" was chosen for three DirecTV Sports Networks, including FSN Pittsburgh.[2] The rebranding was launched on April 1, 2011 with the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season.
Root Sports is the cable home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins. The network reaches more than 2.4 million viewers and delivers more than 350 live events each year - all of which are also available in high definition
On April 27, 2011, Root Sports Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Penguins reached a 20-year contract extension that lasts until the end of the 2028-2029 NHL season. [3]
Contents |
[edit] Sports
[edit] Professional
[edit] College
- Big East Men's & Women's Basketball (via ESPN Plus)
- Northeast Conference Basketball
- ACC Men's & Women's Basketball
- Big 12 Women's Basketball
- Pac-10 Men's & Women's Basketball
- California University of Pennsylvania Football, Mens & Women's Basketball
[edit] High School
- WPIAL High School Football
[edit] Regions Served
Root Sports Pittsburgh serves Pennsylvania, West Virginia, western Maryland, eastern and southeastern Ohio and New York.
[edit] Programming
[edit] National programming
- The Dan Patrick Show
- Bellator Fighting Championships
- Final Score
- Top Rank Boxing
- Sports Science
- UEFA Champions League Soccer
- Barclays Premeir League Soccer
- Oscar DeLa Hoya’s Fight Night Club
- Pokerstars.net Million Dollar Challenge
- World Team Poker
- World Poker Tour: Seasons 1, 7 & 8
- XTERRA Eco Adventures
- Jay Glazer’s Training Camp Party
- The After Party with Jay Glazer
- Profiles
- Baseball’s Golden Age
- Women’s Professional Soccer
- Red Bull Air Race World Championships
- Atlantic Coast Conference Men's College Basketball - Sunday nights
- Big 12 College Football
- Pac-10 College Football
- Pac-10 Men's College Basketball - Thursdays, Saturdays, Sunday nights, and Pac-10 Conference Tournament
- Women's College Basketball from the Big 12, Pac-10 and ACC
[edit] Exclusive programming
- Pittsburgh Pirates live broadcasts - Over 150 Regular Season Games
- Pregame and Postgame shows
- Pirates Instant Replay - replayed broadcasts
- Inside Pirates Baseball
- Spring Training Games
- Pittsburgh Penguins live broadcasts
- Pregame and Postgame shows
- Penguins Rewind - replayed broadcasts
- Penguins Instant Replay - replayed broadcasts
- Inside Penguins Hockey
- Stanley Cup Playoffs - Live Coverage
- Pittsburgh Steelers news
- Mike Tomlin Press Conferences - Hosted by Stan Savran
- The Mike Tomlin Show - Hosted by Stan Savran
- College football
- Pittsburgh Panthers - Tuesday press conference
- West Virginia Mountaineers - Tuesday press conference
- Penn State Nittany Lions - Penn State Story
- Notre Dame - Inside Notre Dame Football
- Marshall University - Marshall Football Today
- College basketball
- Pittsburgh Panthers - live broadcasts
- West Virginia Mountaineers - live broadcasts
- Robert Morris - live broadcasts
- Duquesne University - Live Broadcasts
- Notre Dame - Inside Notre Dame Basketball
- Marshall University - Marshall Basketball Today
- High School Sports
- McDonald’s High School Football - Thursday and Friday night live broadcasts
- WPIAL Football Championships
- Trib Total Media High School Edition
- PIHL Hockey
- PIHL Penguins Cup
[edit] Personalities
[edit] Pittsburgh Penguins
- Paul Steigerwald (Play-by-play)
- Bob Errey (Color-commentator)
- Dan Potash (Sideline reporter for Pirates, Penguins, University of Pittsburgh)
- Jay Caufield (Studio analyst)
[edit] Pittsburgh Pirates
- Tim Neverett (Play-by-play)
- Greg Brown (Play-by-play)
- Bob Walk (Color-commentator)
- John Wehner (Color-commentator for road games only)
- Steve Blass (Color-commentator for home games only)
- Lacee Collins (Field reporter)
- Kent Tekulve (Studio analyst)
[edit] Anchors/Reporters
[edit] Former Personalities
- Lanny Frattare (Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play; Retired)[4]
- Trenni Kusnierek (now with WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- Ryan Burr (now with ESPN)
- Brent Stover (now with Big Ten Network)
- Pat Parris (now with Fox Sports Midwest)
- Guy Junker (now with WTAE-TV and WBGG (AM))
- Marshall Harris (now with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)
- Mike Lange (Pittsburgh Penguins play-by-play, now with Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network)
- Rob Nikoleski
- Stephanie Gabos
- Keith Wilson
[edit] References
- ^ Yao, Deborah (4 May 2009). "DirecTV, Liberty Media Detail Spinoff Plans". Associated Press. http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1512847.html. Retrieved 4 May 2009.[dead link]
- ^ 'ROOT SPORTS' new name for sports networks
- ^ Root Sports Pittsburgh to carry Penguins through 2028-29 season Pittsburgh Post-Gazette April 27, 2011
- ^ Pittsburgh Live Official Site
[edit] External links
- Prime Sports Network
- Television stations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Fox Sports Net
- Pittsburgh Penguins broadcasters
- Pittsburgh Pirates broadcasters
- Pittsburgh Steelers broadcasters
- SportsChannel America
- Sports television in the United States
- Liberty Media subsidiaries
- Sports television networks in the United States
- Television channels and stations established in 1986
- Cable television in the United States
- Major League Baseball over-the-air television broadcasters