Now, more than ever, there’s nothing more aggravating than being a loyal sports fan and not being able to find your favorite team. You frantically search your favorite’s usual “local” home – often a regional sports network – only to find that tonight’s game is someplace else. A national carrier like an ESPN, Fox Sports or Turner Sports channel? Maybe a national broadcast network like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC or CW? Or what if it’s a new streaming exclusive like Friday Night Baseball on AppleTV, Sunday morning games on Peacock, or something else on ESPN+, Disney+ or Max? In many cases, the longtime former “home” may no longer even exist – or at least has a new name. And all the while you’re just trying to avoid missing a home run, slam dunk, or savage bar-down snipe.
Despite some video providers continuing to abandon local sports, or other new streaming entrants which have yet to get in, DIRECTV continues to offer fans not only the widest array of live action, but also entirely new opportunities like the DIRECTV Sports Pack to build their own sports-specific lineups with greater flexibility, control, and enhanced value. And, yeah, these new lineups include access to most local MLB, NBA, and NHL teams in their home regions via MyHome Team (with more coming soon) and that also contain the top sports streaming services like ESPN+ or upcoming ESPN Flagship at no additional cost.
We love sports, just like you, and here’s a look at the key regional sports networks, team-specific channels, and other “home team” sports programming we offer to keep you at the edge of your seat. The good news is that DIRECTV continues to make nearly every one of these options available to the home fans who want them.
REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORKS
The former Fox Sports regional sports networks were all sold to Disney, and then sold to Sinclair, which spun them off into Diamond Sports Group, which has since become Main Street Sports Group. During that time, they’ve been rebranded from Fox Sports to Bally Sports to their current FanDuel Sports. Meanwhile, the former AT&T Sports Networks were closed, rebranded or otherwise disappeared, and more recently, Comcast sold or shuttered its NBC Sports networks and began moving more local sports to its Peacock streaming service instead. Despite all the turmoil, DIRECTV continues to offer the current iterations of all these regional sports networks. In fact, the only RSN DIRECTV doesn’t offer is Comcast’s NBC Sports Philadelphia based in Comcast’s hometown and whose teams either are or were Comcast properties, too.
REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORKS & BROADCAST
A few teams have split more of their games across both regional sports networks and local broadcast stations, yet DIRECTV continues to make these games available to local fans.
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RSN + BROADCAST |
Altitude Sports and Entertainment + |
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RSN + BROADCAST |
Chicago Sports Network + |
LOCAL BROADCAST STATIONS
Other teams have gone nearly all-in on local broadcast, culling together networks of different local stations serving the key cities within any team’s usual multi-state home territory. This can unfortunately create situations where some fans who may have been able to get all the team’s games before can’t receive them today. When this occurs, teams or the stations involved will often create team-based streaming apps for fans to try to get those games. The good news is DIRECTV has ongoing relationships with most of the top broadcasters involved and will typically find the means to ensure most of the fans who want them can still get those games.
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BROADCAST |
Gray TV |
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BROADCAST |
Scripps |
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BROADCAST |
Scripps |
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BROADCAST |
Scripps |
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BROADCAST |
Scripps |
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BROADCAST |
Sinclair |
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BROADCAST |
Sinclair |
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BROADCAST |
TEGNA |
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BROADCAST + STREAMING |
Nexstar + Victory+ |
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BROADCAST + STREAMING |
TEGNA + Amazon |
Seattle Kraken |
TEAM-SPECIFIC CHANNELS
Rather than 24/7 channels, these are services that typically provide pregame, postgame, and all the live action for your favorite teams. Sometimes they are owned and operated by the leagues, and sometimes by the teams themselves. They began to emerge a couple years back, and DIRECTV has always been at the forefront of adding them for local fans.
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TEAM CHANNEL |
MLB Cleveland Guardians (Ch. 662) |
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TEAM CHANNEL |
MLB Colorado Rockies (Ch. 683) |
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TEAM CHANNEL |
MLB Diamondbacks (Ch. 686) |
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TEAM CHANNEL |
MLB Minnesota Wild (Ch. 668) |
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TEAM CHANNEL |
MLB San Diego Padres (Ch. 694) |
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TEAM CHANNEL + BROADCAST + STREAMING |
Rangers Sports Network (Ch. 677) + |
STREAMING EXCLUSIVES
Finally, in just a few cases, teams have opted to go all-in on streaming services that are paid for by sponsors and then offered to local fans for free.
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STREAMING |
Victory+ |
Anaheim Ducks (outside LA) |
Find out where your favorite MLB, NBA, or NHL team is playing tonight and how to watch it on DIRECTV right here.
WHAT IS A REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORK (RSN)?
A regional sports network is a sports-specific TV channel that focuses on televising live sports within a specific geographic area that overlaps its teams’ league-mandated “home” territory. Whether at home or on the road, the teams with the closest geographic proximity to your home are typically available, even when national networks are subject to local blackouts in your area.
And it’s not just professional sports available. You can watch collegiate and sometimes even high school sporting events on your RSN, too!
GET MORE REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORKS WITH DIRECTV
DIRECTV offers nearly every Regional Sports Network in America – in fact, all but one. They include larger groups of networks like Main Street Sports Group’s FanDuel Sports RSNs; ones owned by other video providers like Comcast’s NBC Sports-branded RSNs in Boston or the Bay Area and Charter Spectrum’s two Spectrum SportsNets based in Los Angeles. They also include lots of different channels often owned-and-operated by the teams themselves, including the Madison Square Garden (MSG) group, NESN, Chicago Sports Network, Altitude Sports & Entertainment, and Space City Home Network, just to name a few. With the CHOICE™ package or above, customers get access to their local RSNs, so you can catch the live sports action wherever you are. And for satellite-free streaming customers, the new MyHome Team may be right up your alley.
If you don’t have DIRECTV yet, now’s the time to make the switch and start watching more of the sports you love.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Regional Sports Network?
Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) are TV channels that focus on broadcasting live sports to a local market or geographic region.
How many RSNs does DIRECTV have?
DIRECTV customers with the CHOICE Package or above have access to not only their own RSNs but also 30+ more from around the country.
What are some examples of RSNs?
Some of the most popular RSNs include FanDuel Sports Networks, NBC Sports, NESN and MSG Sportsnet.
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