How Regional Sports Networks Optimize Distribution to Serve Local Fans Better
Like all sports broadcasters, regional sports networks (RSNs) serve a mix of casual and die-hard fans and of necessity employ a number of distribution and monetization strategies to meet those fans where they are, ranging from vMPVDs to OTA, cable, and DTC. But RSNs also face unique challenges in their efforts to serve their affiliated teams’ best interests and ensure that their game coverage and other programming reflects and reinforces the dedication of their teams’ fan bases and also matches the consumption preferences and needs of viewers throughout the region, as Space City Home Network GM Jim Colasanto and NESN CMO and CDO Ahmed Darwish explain in this discussion with ViewLift VP Global GTM Strategy Chance Mason in this clip from Streaming Media 2026.
OTA to OTT to DTC
Mason kicks off the conversation by asking Colasanto about Space City’s subscription model, how they reach their fan base, and where fans watch.
“Linear is still our largest scale by far with our region,” Colasanto says, noting that the network’s viewers range across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, where they watch Houston Rockets and Astros games and other Space City programming on cable, satellite, and virtual MVPDs. “We are geo-targeted," he continues, "but we're trying to make it easy for everybody. You don't have to have cable, you don't have to have satellite, but you do have to have internet. Getting the direct-to-consumer piece has really added to our viewership. We hear directly from our fans exactly how they're trying to consume our network. And so we can gauge off that fan interaction and see what platforms they're on, where they need to be, and make those decisions based on actual connecting with our viewers and fans."
“I see in talking to teams and some RSNs that some teams go OTA [over the air],” Mason replies. “Some teams have direct to distributor. And there are times in which there's no coverage in the geographical area that they have access to based on the league's allocation. Do you find that people jump to streaming direct to consumer [in those instances,] or do you have any of those dead pockets in your territories?"
With Space City’s emphasis on the Astros and Rockets, Colasanto says, “we’re focused on the Houston DMA [designated market area], but with our reach, we hear from people in Tulsa and that they're able to reach it with the direct-to-consumer app [SCHN+]. So I think, again, it's giving those viewers and those fans the opportunity to see the network even if they're not based in our DMA.”
“But somebody in Dallas can’t get Space City Home Network on their own through cable, right?” Mason asks.
“They can through DirecTV,” Colasanto confirms. “So there is still that option. But some areas don't have that access. But with virtual MVPDs like Fubo, or DirectTV streams, they do have that potential. And the direct-to-consumer piece,” he adds, serves to extend SCHN’s signal beyond “cable and satellite.”
“It’s all about giving fans choice,” Darwish chimes in. Because NESN has been “around for so long,” he continues, “we enjoy really good distribution and have great relationships and partnerships with linear distributors who have good penetration throughout New England. But different fans have different preferences for how they want to watch and engage, and direct to consumer and other channels give them an opportunity to engage in whichever way makes the most sense for them.”
RSNs, the Price of Fandom, and the Perks of DTC and TVE
Mason shifts the conversation from reach and platform preferences toward monetization for RSNs and the price fans are willing to pay to follow their hometown teams. “There’s still debate on putting sports behind a paywall,” Mason says. “There are still people who believe that’s the right decision. Other people believe that you should give it away for free and subsidize it through AVOD. Do you think—or do you see from your engagement with your fans—that it is only the fanatical fans that are willing to pay for the subscription, or will casual fans pay as well?”
“I want to reframe it a litlte bit," Darwish responds, “because one of the ways that we set up our direct-to-consumer in particular was that you could subscribe directly, or if you have access to NESN through your TV package, you could just authenticate it. And if your distributor doesn't happen to carry our 4K feed, you could watch it on our direct-to-consumer app [NESN360]. Or if you happen to be on the go and you want to watch on your phone, or you have a second home or you have a second room, whatever it might be,” access to the DTC app ensures that Red Sox and Bruins fans won't suffer (at least not from having to miss the games).
“And so for us,” he continues, “it was more about how do we give all fans a choice, and how do we get all fans into the fold and make it easier for them, and reduce the friction [involved in] watching their favorite teams.” So it's not necessarily about “fanatics versus casual fans.” But when it comes to “the casual fans,” he adds, “you want to make it as easy as possible for them. If you make it easy enough, they’ll tune in.”
Colasanto agrees that reducing friction is key, and says that SCHN does that both through its DTC app and authenticating subscribers so they can watch “wherever they are. We had a day baseball game the other day and the numbers were so much better than what they've been on the stream. Again, I'm allocating it to somebody in the office watching on their phone rather than having a TV. Giving everybody that access, to Ahmed’s point, is big, whether you are direct-to-consumer TV everywhere.”
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