Network dead: Fox Sports Net to carry Rockets games

Well goodbye rockets.

I guess The Houston Rockets was only a dream.

Astros too?....oh well

 

WHOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!


Holy crap this just made my day!!!!! I will beable to watch more rockets games now!

Thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou!

So this is starting this season? Awesome.

http://www.nba.com/rockets/schedule/ doesn't have it updated on their page yet.

 

I glanced over the other posts and didn't see this mentioned - if so, I apologize.

If you have your own network, you can control the revenue - of course you also have to control costs under that scenario. You have independence.

A Rocket/Astro network would be able to negotiate in any market nationwide and thus control their costs and revenue - meaning additional revenue if handled properly - which as a business man I would rather have control in most circumstances than guarantee.

Independence doesn't mean as much to the Rockets with a salary cap but to the Astros with only a weak luxury tax, it could mean competing with the Yankees on some levels or remaining a mid-level team. I'm surprised that all of this posturing was a shakedown on Fox. I like their news but their sports division sucks.

 

I just signed up with Direct TV last week. They came in and installed 3 rooms for free and provided me with the direct tv receivers. I ended up getting the NBA League pass, so I could check out the Orlando games (when the Rockets aren't playing, of course). If you want more info, here's the number I called. 1-800-431-1221 Promo Code: rfp421624

 

It's old, but it may help.....

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/sports/barron/2840985

 

YES !!

Funny how everyone in the national media figures out that Coop sucks..but the Rockets organization themselves could not figure it out.

DD

 

If Cooper were young and hot somehow I don't think she'd be receiving all this abuse from everyone.

Val Ackerman is stepping down as commissioner of the WNBA. David Stern should name Coop as her replacement. If only so you guys can stop whining about her.

 

I'm kinda sad about it if we had the network we could see a three
hour call in show about the Rockets Astros and Texans also
maybe UH and Rice games even some local high school games
instead we only get a half hour sports show not only for Houston
but Dallas and San Antonio i live in Albuquerque so in cites like
Denver and Phoenix they have their own Fox sports station
i think we signed to fast we should have asked for our own fox
station that just deals with Houston

 

For MLB or NBA games they would not have that right. There are limited regions where they can show a "local broadcast" of the games ("protecting" NBALP outside of those regions). The Yankees network (YES) can show all the programming (including post-game and extensive highlight packages), but the games themselves are blacked out outside of the New York region.

 

This is from Monday's (11/1) edition of the Chronicle:


Marv Albert, Mike Fratello and Steve Kerr will call the Rockets-Pistons opener Tuesday on TNT and on TNT in HD. ... Still no word on whether the Wednesday game at Toronto will be on KNWS (Channel 51) or on FSN Southwest. Count on it being the latter if reports are true about a deal between the Rockets and FSN Southwest that will top $20 million per year.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/barron/2877320

 

Well, I bought the widescreen 1.5 years ago because I knew it was the way to go - it's not like I spent thousands on it, just $1500 with the stand. Besides, I spend so much time doing other stuff that paying $40-50 a month on TV didn't make sense.

And for those who keep saying $30, it's $40 plus taxes for cable.

Anyway, I broke down and ordered digital basic. The really good news is that they are coming Tuesday morning, so I get to see the first game. The cost is going to be $48 per month plus taxes.

Luckily, I've converted my wife into a Rockets fan as well, so she went for it.

 

I don't know man, I liked her predecessor a lot better - and she wasn't exactly a young hottie.

 

Oh. Hell. Yes. I was wondering why TNT had an HD channel.

 

For everybody here complaining about cable, and how this was ruining everybody's plans for the season because it was all "last-second"... how were you planning on watching the 1st game???

And, if the deal is worth over $20 million/year (as David Barron said in the chron), then that would put both the Rockets and the Astros in the upper echelon of sports-tv deals in their respective leauges.

 

Why can't the Rockets find a young hottie to do the show? I'm sure there's one in a city the size of Houston.

 

There was. Her name was Jessica. Now she's on the Knicks dannce team.

 

BitTorrent, baby!

Help us Rockets2Kenobi. You're our only hope.

 

This is great news. No more crappy knws 51.

 

I was talking about the cable reception. You shouldn't need an antenna if you have cable.

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/sports/tv/2873861

Oct. 29, 2004, 11:22PM



McLane says decision could come soon on new channel
Astros, Rockets are teaming up for broadcast venture
By DAVID BARRON
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Astros owner Drayton McLane said Friday that the Astros and Rockets are continuing discussions with FSN Southwest on a new broadcast agreement and could decide by late next week whether to accept the offer or to proceed with plans for a Houston-based channel.

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The Astros and Rockets are partners in the Houston Regional Sports Network, which is scheduled to begin operations in the fall of 2005.

A Houston state district judge this year ruled that the Astros can exit their FSN Southwest contract after the 2005 season to join the Rockets in the new venture.

But under terms of an order by the 1st Court of Appeals, the parties are engaged in mediation in an effort to reach a settlement before hearings begin on FSN's appeal.

McLane said those talks continue while the teams continue planning their new network.

"We have our staff and are moving forward, but we also have continued to negotiate with Fox. We are trying to evaluate both and to see what the next step is," McLane said. "Hopefully that decision can be made by the latter part of next week.

"We have not reached any decision, so it is not appropriate to go into any of the details."

But the approach of the NBA season means a decision could come as early as Wednesday.

The Rockets' season opener Tuesday at Detroit will be broadcast on TNT.

No announcement has been made if KNWS (Channel 51) or another outlet — presumably FSN Southwest — will carry Wednesday's game at Toronto.

"We continue to follow the court order, and other than that, we have no comment," said Rockets vice president Tad Brown.

Asked which station would carry the Wednesday game, Brown said, "That will be determined."

While acknowledging that talks with FSN continue, McLane emphasized that the Rockets and Astros continue working "diligently" on their local network.

"We continue to talk about a new contract with them," he said. "But having employed three full-time people with all the expenses we've incurred, the RSN is still out in front of us.

"If anything occurred with Fox, it would have to be something they would give us that would be more important."

"That," of course, would be money, which means FSN Southwest would have to offer more than the $18 million per year the Rockets and Astros are scheduled to be paid each year in rights fees once the Houston RSN begins operations.

The Astros have valued their 60 percent share of the new network at $213 million.

FSN officials had no comment Friday.

david.barron@chron.com