Root Sports Pittsburgh

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Root Sports Pittsburgh
Root sports logo.png
Launched April 13, 1986 (as KBL)
Network Fox Sports Networks
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
Comcast 843 (HD)
Verizon FiOS 76 (SD), 576 (HD)

Root Sports Pittsburgh (formerly FSN Pittsburgh) is a regional sports network owned and operated by DirecTV Sports Networks. Root Sports is the cable home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins. The network reaches more than 2.4 million viewers in five states and delivers more than 350 live events each year - all of which are also available in high definition

Contents

History [edit]

The channel first aired in the Pittsburgh metro area on April 13, 1986 as KBL with a Mike Lange announced Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 win over the Cubs from Three Rivers Stadium, but then went off air until resuming continuous broadcast on April 24, 1986 in the then five county Pittsburgh Metro Area with its first regular broadcast being a Pirates game vs. the Mets from Three Rivers. On May 9, 1986 KBL expanded close to its modern day six-state broadcast area. It was initially owned by Prime Network as 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.

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]

Sports [edit]

Professional [edit]

College [edit]

High School [edit]

  • WPIAL High School Football

Regions Served [edit]

Media.PNG

Root Sports Pittsburgh serves nearly all of Pennsylvania outside of the Philadelphia market, most of West Virginia, western Maryland, eastern and southeastern Ohio and New York, as well as Ashland, Kentucky.

Programming [edit]

National programming [edit]

  • The Dan Patrick Show
  • Bellator Fighting Championships
  • Final Score
  • Top Rank Boxing
  • Sports Science
  • UEFA Champions League Soccer
  • Barclays Premier 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

Exclusive programming [edit]

  • 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
  • High School Sports
    • McDonald’s High School Football - Thursday and Friday night live broadcasts
    • WPIAL Football Championships
    • Trib Total Media High School Edition

Personalities [edit]

Pittsburgh Penguins [edit]

Pittsburgh Pirates [edit]

Anchors/Reporters [edit]

Former Personalities [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Yao, Deborah (4 May 2009). "DirecTV, Liberty Media Detail Spinoff Plans". Associated Press. Retrieved 4 May 2009. [dead link]
  2. ^ 'ROOT SPORTS' new name for sports networks
  3. ^ Root Sports Pittsburgh to carry Penguins through 2028-29 season Pittsburgh Post-Gazette April 27, 2011
  4. ^ Pittsburgh Live Official Site
Portal icon Pittsburgh portal

External links [edit]

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Root_Sports_Pittsburgh&oldid=554174813"