- A joint venture of networks that locally broadcast games for the New York Yankees, New York Rangers and New York Knicks is launching a bundled streaming app.
- The app, “Gotham Sports App,” is scheduled to be released in the fall ahead of the NHL and NBA seasons.
- The combined package is believed to be the first time two regional sports networks have bundled their apps together.
Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment, a joint venture between MSG Networks and YES Network, plans to launch a new bundled app in the fall that will broadcast local games from seven New York-area teams.
The package, announced Wednesday, is believed to be the first time two regional sports networks have combined their apps into a bundle.
Gotham Sports App NBA and NHL seasons. Locals can watch games from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Brooklyn Nets and New York Yankees with a subscription.
The Gotham package, which gives access to all of the teams, costs $359.99 a year or $41.99 a month, roughly the same monthly price as the Venu streaming service, a joint venture between Fox, Disney and Warner Bros.' Discovery, which was halted by a preliminary injunction earlier this month.
Customers who only want to watch some of these teams can also purchase access to just the MSG+ or YES App services for $29.99 and $24.99 per month, respectively. Customers who already have access to MSG Networks and YES Network through their pay-TV subscription can access the Gotham Sports App services at no additional cost.
“With fan-favorite sports programming becoming more fragmented across media outlets, the Gotham Sports app provides one easy place for fans of our teams to access New York-area sporting events from MSG Network and YES Network,” Andrea Greenberg, president and CEO of MSG Network, said in a press release.
Notably, SportsNet New York, the regional sports network that broadcasts the New York Mets, is not included in the venture; it will only be available to cable TV payers via FuboTV, DirecTV streams or online logins.
Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, Comcast and Charter jointly own SportsNet New York.
In recent years, the local sports network business has undergone dramatic changes. A local cable network in Boston that aired Red Sox and Bruins games launched the first standalone regional streaming service in 2022, with other markets following suit.
Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, filed for bankruptcy in March 2023, leading many professional teams across leagues to change how they broadcast games.
Several teams in the NBA, WNBA and NHL have turned to local broadcasters, most recently the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Some MLB teams have opted to have the league produce the games.
The Gotham Sports app isn't the first regional sports streaming option available to New York metropolitan area residents: YES Network and MSG Network both launched separate streaming services last year, and customers who only want one of the networks' services and don't want a combined package can continue to watch for a cheaper rate.
Not all of the new regional sports streaming services are adopting a subscription model. The NHL's Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks have announced that they will broadcast games locally on Victory+, a free, ad-supported streaming service owned by A Parent Media Co.
Previously, both teams' home games were broadcast on regional sports networks owned by Diamond Sports.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of CNBC.