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==History== [[File:New England Sports Network (logo).png|thumb|right|NESN's logo from 1990 to 2019.]] The New England Sports Network launched on April 4, 1984,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Regional sports on Satcom l -R |journal=Broadcasting Magazine |date=April 2, 1984 |page=10 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-04-02-OCR-Page-0010.pdf |access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref> originally operating as a joint-venture of the [[Boston Red Sox]], [[Boston Bruins]], and [[Storer Communications]] (the owner of [[WSBK-TV]]). The new service which featured 90 Red Sox and 40 Bruins games during its first year was sold as a [[Pay television in the United States#Programming|premium channel]] with prices ranging from $7.50 to $10 per month. A number of these games were previously aired on WSBK.<ref>{{cite journal |title=New TV contracts push baseball.. |journal=Broadcasting Magazine |date=February 27, 1984 |page=46 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-02-27-OCR-Page-0046.pdf |access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref> In 1996, NESN became the New England affiliate of [[Fox Sports Networks|Fox Sports Net]] (FSN), carrying the network's national sports and magazine programs; this lasted until 1999. In January 1998, then-FSN parent [[News Corporation (1980β2013)|News Corporation]] acquired partial ownership of [[Cablevision]]-owned SportsChannel New England (and its sister networks), turning it into [[NBC Sports Boston|Fox Sports Net New England]] (now NBC Sports Boston). However, despite the name change Fox Sports New England was blocked from carrying any FSN programming due to NESN's existing affiliation agreement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fox Sports Networks Inc 1998 Annual Report S-K Item 405 10-K405 |url=https://sec.report/Document/0000944209-99-000425/ |website=SEC.gov |publisher=UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |access-date=3 July 2021 |language=en |date=March 31, 1999}}</ref> Fox had hoped to negotiate an early termination of that agreement, but had to wait until it expired on December 31, 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fox Sports Networks Inc 2000 Annual Report S-K Item 405 10-K405 |url=https://sec.report/Document/0000944209-00-001542/ |website=SEC.gov |publisher=SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |access-date=3 July 2021 |language=en |date=September 28, 2000}}</ref> NESN converted into a [[Cable television in the United States#Basic cable|basic cable]] service in 2001, a model that has since been copied by other companies through their respective launches of new regional sports networks as well as similar conversions (many of which predate NESN's transition) of those that began as pay services. Afterwards, until early 2006, NESN carried simulcasts of [[ESPNews]] during the afternoon and overnight hours. NESN has carried regional [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] [[college basketball]] games since [[Boston College]] joined the conference, including games distributed for national broadcast for and by Fox Sports Networks. In September 2003, NESN began producing Red Sox games in [[High-definition television|high definition]]. In April 2006, NESN launched a full-time HD feed, after having re-located its operations from Fenway Park to a newly-built studio in [[Watertown, Massachusetts|Watertown]] with expanded production capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Susan |date=2006-07-01 |title=NESN hits a home run with its new HD facility |url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/opinions/nesn-hits-a-home-run-with-its-new-hd-facility |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=TVTechnology |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Geoff Poister |date=2006-04-03 |title=NESN Goes All HD |url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/nesn-goes-all-hd |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=TVTechnology |language=en}}</ref> In 2013, NESN (through Fenway Sports Group) placed a bid to acquire the [[List of assets owned by The New York Times Company#New England Media Group|New England Media Group]] from [[The New York Times Company]], which would have placed it under the common ownership of ''[[The Boston Globe]]''; Fenway dropped out of the bidding in July.<ref>{{cite news|title=Red Sox owner John Henry launches solo bid to buy Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/07/31/red-sox-owner-john-henry-launches-solo-bid-buy-boston-globe/l7t0spormDxdOUtPOHnC6O/story.html?comments=all&sort=HIGHEST_RATING|author=Beth Healy|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=July 31, 2013|access-date=November 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Report: Red Sox owner John Henry wants to buy Boston Globe solo after group drops out|url=http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2013/07/report_red_sox_owner_john_henr.html|author=Evan Drellich|newspaper=[[The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts)|The Republican]]|date=July 31, 2013|access-date=August 2, 2013}}</ref> On August 30, 2014, the network became a charter cable affiliate of the [[American Sports Network]], a sports syndication service founded by the [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], with its first ASN broadcast being a [[college football]] game between the [[Old Dominion Monarchs football|Old Dominion Monarchs]] and the [[Hampton Pirates football|Hampton Pirates]].<ref name=htr>{{cite news|title=ODU's opener with Hampton to be televised in 66 markets|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2014/08/odus-opener-hampton-be-televised-66-markets|author=Harry Minium|newspaper=[[The Virginian-Pilot]]|date=August 27, 2014|access-date=September 8, 2014|archive-date=September 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909034313/http://hamptonroads.com/2014/08/odus-opener-hampton-be-televised-66-markets|url-status=dead}}</ref> NESN and NESN National also agreed to carry certain games from the inaugural season of the [[Fall Experimental Football League]] in October and November 2014.<ref name=nrn>{{cite press release|title=FXFL To Be Carried on ESPN3|url=http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/26681849/fxfl-to-be-carried-on-espn3|agency=[[PR Newswire]]|publisher=FXFL|via=NBC Right Now|date=October 1, 2014|access-date=October 20, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021025920/http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/26681849/fxfl-to-be-carried-on-espn3|archive-date=October 21, 2014}}</ref> On June 1, 2022, NESN became the first U.S. regional sports network to offer its content on a direct-to-consumer basis.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Frankel |first=Daniel |date=2022-06-01 |title=Red Sox Channel Becomes First RSN to Offer Standalone Streaming Service |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/red-sox-rsn-to-offer-standalone-streaming-service |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=NextTV |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022-06-01 |title=NESN becomes first U.S. RSN to launch full OTT service |url=https://awfulannouncing.com/local-networks/nesn-360-ott-price.html |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=Awful Announcing |language=en-US}}</ref> On February 24, 2023, [[Warner Bros. Discovery]], owners of [[AT&T SportsNet]], announced that it would leave the RSN business. This included AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, the broadcasting home of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], which were purchased by FSG in late 2021. In August 2023, in a move predicted by sportswriters after the initial announcement,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Penguins, Pirates reportedly may find new TV home with Boston teams via Fenway Sports Group-owned NESN |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2023/03/15/at-t-sportsnet-collapse-penguins-tv-contract-fenway-sports-group-nesn/stories/202303140131 |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaplan |first=Daniel |title=RSN armageddon? What fans can expect as likely Bally Sports bankruptcy looms |url=https://theathletic.com/4307996/2023/03/14/rsn-diamond-sports-bally-sports-bankruptcy/ |access-date=2023-08-28 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}</ref> the Penguins announced that they would acquire the channel and relaunch it as [[SportsNet Pittsburgh]] in October 2023, with NESN operating the channel as a sister network.<ref name="sale">{{Cite web |title=Penguins Announce 'SportsNet Pittsburgh' as Regional Sports Network |url=https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/penguins-announce-sportsnet-pittsburgh-as-regional-sports-network/c-345709464 |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=NHL.com |date=August 31, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>
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