Artemi Panarin #10 of the Recent York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the third period against the Los Angeles Kings at Madison Square Garden on February 26, 2023 in Recent York City.
Jared Silver | National Hockey League | Getty’s paintings
MSG Networks, James Dolan’s cable channels that provide local skilled sports games from Recent York and Recent Jersey, are launching their very own streaming service.
MSG+ will launch this summer with NBA Recent York Knicks, NHL Recent York Rangers, Buffalo Sabers and Recent Jersey Devils games. The streaming service will cost $29.99 a month or $309.99 a yr for the release of the company on Wednesday.
MSG Networks also said it recently launched a free ad-supported streaming TV channel, or FAST, called MSG SportsZone, which is out there nationally on Vizio TVs and the Plex streaming platform. Additional platforms will be coming soon. The FAST channel features MSG Networks programming centered around sports betting and classic gaming.
MSG+ will only be available in a region where MSG is already available on cable. Traditional TV subscribers will also receive free access to MSG+.
The launch comes as regional sports networks particularly felt the pain of consumers leaving their cable bundle, opting for streaming services as a substitute. Nonetheless, watching local sports teams is usually difficult for cable-cutters, as few web packages include regional sports networks, and these networks are slow to supply their very own direct-to-consumer options.
These networks also must be careful when pricing their streaming options in order to not further disrupt the pay-TV model and breach contracts with distributors. Pay-TV contracts for regional sports networks help support the billions of dollars in fees that networks pay skilled sports teams to air their games.
Launching direct-to-consumer streaming services is an attempt to keep up or restore customers who’ve cut the cord. Last yr, the Recent England Sports Network, the local TV station for MLB’s Boston Red Sox and NHL’s Bruins, launched a streaming option at a similar price of $29.99 a month or $329.99 a yr.
Meanwhile, Diamond Sports Group launched Bally Sports+ last fallat $19.99 per 30 days or $189.99 per yr.
MSG Networks’ latest streaming service will also allow fans to buy single game streaming channels for $9.99 per game. This offer has not yet been made available by other regional sports networks which have created a streaming platform.
Nonetheless, cable providers have seen a rise in customers fleeing the package in the past yr, exacerbating their problems.
Diamond’s Bally Sports is on the verge of bankruptcy attributable to massive debt. Warner Bros. Discovery is supposedly desires to exit the business of regional sports networks.