Penguins

Pirates Join Penguins TV, Become Part Owners Pittsburgh SportsNet

Published

4 months ago

December 13, 2023

Pittsburgh Penguins TV, Pirates, SportsNet Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates TV broadcasts won’t change channels in 2024. The Pirates games will remain on the former AT&T Sportsnet, now known as SportsNet Pittsburgh. The channel will have all regionally televised games.

The Pirates announced today they have agreed to jointly own the network with the Pittsburgh Penguins ownership, Fenway Sports Group. The channel is operated by FSG’s Boston broadcast property, The New England Sports Network (NESN), which will continue to operate Sportsnet Pittsburgh.

“Above all else, this was the right thing to do for our fans,” said Pirates President Travis Williams. “From the outset of this process, the most important thing to us was to ensure that our fans have the same level of access to Pirates game telecasts and the same high-quality production that they enjoy today. This agreement accomplishes that and more as we enable Pittsburgh sports fans to continue to enjoy a two-team, 24/7 sports channel.”

Had the Pirates not found a partner or broadcast home, Major League Baseball would have assumed the rights.

“We are thrilled that the Pirates are joining the SportsNet Pittsburgh partnership,” said Sean McGrail, President & CEO of NESN. “Over 150 Pirates games in addition to the Penguins telecasts make SportsNet Pittsburgh a must-have sports destination for Pittsburgh fans.”

The channel became available earlier this year when Warner Bros. Discovery pulled all support for the regional sports networks operating under the AT&T Sports banner. FSG purchased the channel, which had informed the local teams it would surrender the broadcast rights as part of bankruptcy and dissolution efforts.