The Space City Home Network is an American regional sports network owned jointly by the Houston Rockets and Houston Astros. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the network broadcasts regional coverage of sports events throughout Southeast Texas, mainly focusing on professional sports teams based in Greater Houston, namely the Astros and Rockets, as well as local college teams.
The channel went on the air in 2012 as Comcast SportsNet Houston under the ownership of Houston Regional Sports Network L.P., a joint venture with Comcast, along with the Astros and Rockets, after the closure of Fox Sports Houston. Following the bankruptcy of Comcast SportsNet Houston in 2013, DirecTV and AT&T acquired the network in 2014 and relaunched under the Root Sports brand as Root Sports Southwest; but after DirecTV was acquired by AT&T, the channel is rebranded yet again to AT&T SportsNet Southwest in 2017. In 2023, when Warner Bros. Discovery, the former WarnerMedia that AT&T acquired and divested, announced it would exit the regional sports network business, by selling or closing its AT&T SportsNet networks, the Astros and Rockets announced it would reacquire the channel which was rebranded to the Space City Home Network in October 2023.
As of 2024, the Space City Home Network is available on cable providers throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico, and nationwide on satellite via DirecTV. The feed for Astros games is also carried on the MLB.TV streaming service.
History
Launch of Comcast SportsNet Houston
The idea for a team-owned regional sports network in Houston was proposed in 1999, when George Postolos, then the president of the Houston Rockets, floated the idea to Fox, which passed on the offer. Four years later, in 2003, the Rockets decided to partner with the Houston Astros to launch an RSN. The first order of business was to sever ties with Fox Sports Southwest, which carried games from both teams at the time (first through the main network, and then through a subfeed called Fox Sports Houston for the Houston market launched in April 2005). This led to a protracted court battle between Fox and the two teams that was settled after 20 months, leading to a new broadcast deal with the network valued at $600 million over 10 to 15 years. However, this contract contained a clause allowing the teams to terminate the contract and negotiate with other networks starting in late 2009. Fox Sports then moved the Astros and Rockets telecasts to Fox Sports Houston, which was separated from Fox Sports Southwest into its own network on January 12, 2009.
The Astros/Rockets group held discussions with Comcast, DirecTV and AT&T
Programming
Houston Astros
The Space City Home Network serves as the regional television broadcaster of Major League Baseball games involving the Houston Astros, airing all games not nationally televised. All telecasts are preceded by a pre-game show and followed by an hour-long post-game show. On the days of home games, these shows are usually broadcast live from Daikin Park, whereas on the days of away games they are broadcast from the Space City Home Network studio. The network also airs a half-hour magazine show entitled Astros Bases Loaded, which includes both regular weekly editions during the regular season and several special editions aired sporadically during the off-season. Other Astros programming includes game replays, Spring Training games, Astros Playback (re-airs of significant Astros games from the previous season during the off-season), and coverage of special events, including Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and press conferences.
Houston Rockets
The Space City Home Network also serves as the home of National Basketball Association games involving the Houston Rockets. As with the network's Astros coverage, all games that are not being featured on a national network are televised and include pre-game and post-game shows. Rockets coverage also includes the team magazine show Rockets All Access, which includes both weekly regular season editions and less frequent special and "best of" editions, most of which air during the off-season, as well as Rockets Playback (similar to Astros Playback), game replays, and coverage of team press conferences and other special events.
Houston SaberCats
Availability
Space City Home Network is available on most pay television providers serving the Greater Houston area, including AT&T U-verse and national satellite provider DirecTV, along with smaller providers such as Phonoscope Communications, Coastal Link, En-Touch and Consolidated Communications.[16][5] Dish Network, Charter Communications, and Suddenlink Communications are the only remaining major providers in the area that do not carry the network at present.[16] Per their new ownership of the network, AT&T and DirecTV added the network upon its re-launch under the Root Sports brand.[16][5]
Related services
Space City Home Network Alternate
Space City Home Network Alternate is an alternate feed of Space City Home Network that broadcasts 24 hours a day. Although it usually simulcasts programming from the main Space City Home Network, it is also used to broadcast select events from teams to which Space City Home Network holds the broadcast rights within the designated market if two or more games scheduled to be broadcast on the channel are held simultaneously, requiring the overflow feed to carry games that cannot air on the main feed.
On-air staff
Notable current on-air staff
Hosts
- Kevin Eschenfelder
- Adam Wexler
Houston Rockets
- Craig Ackerman – play-by-play announcer
- Ryan Hollins – home and road analyst
- Vanessa Richardson - sideline reporter
- Calvin Murphy – studio analyst
- Gerald Green – studio analyst
Houston Astros
See also
- Comcast Sports Southwest – a defunct Houston-based channel dedicated to local college and high school sports in the Southwestern United States
- Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast – a defunct channel that featured college and high school sports in the Southern United States
- Houston Astros Radio Network – the current radio network of the Houston Astros
- Sports in Texas
External links
References
- David Barron. TV-radio notebook: CSN Houston lands C-USA football games Houston Chronicle, Hearst Corporation, July 5, 2012, retrieved July 7, 2012^
- Michael Bathon. Houston Astros Denied Halt to Network Bankruptcy on Appeal Bloomberg, L.P., February 12, 2014, retrieved November 16, 2014^
- David Barron. Comcast SportsNet Houston plans October launch