Prime Sports(originally known as thePrime Sports Network(PSN), and also known asPrime Networkor simplyPrime) is the collective name for a former group ofregional sports networksin the United States that were owned byLiberty Media,operating from November 1988 to October 31, 1996. While Liberty owned many of these networks, some of Prime's member networks were owned by other companies, and carried programming distributed for the group through affiliation agreements. As a result, Prime-affiliated networks had the right to select Prime Network programs to broadcast.
| Country | United States British Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Worldwide |
| Headquarters | Englewood, Colorado |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bill Daniels/Tele-Communications, Inc.(1985–1994) Liberty Media(1994–1996) |
| Sister channels | SportsChannel |
| History | |
| Launched | October 19, 1985 (Southern California; as Prime Ticket) November 15, 1988 (Colorado; as Prime Sports Network) 1989 (launch of Prime Sports brand) |
| Closed | October 31, 1996 |
| Replaced by | Fox Sports Networks STAR Sports(pan-Asia) |
Each of the networks primarily carried regional broadcasts of sporting events from various professional, collegiate and high school sports teams (with broadcasts typically exclusive to each individual network, although some were shown on multiple Prime networks within a particular team's designated market area), along with regional and national sports discussion, documentary and analysis programs.
In 1996, Liberty announced a partnership withNews Corporation,under which it would affiliate the Prime Sports channels with itsFox Sports Networks.
History
editEarly history
editThe group's history traces back to the original Prime Ticket (nowBally Sports West), a Los Angeles-based sports network that launched on October 19, 1985. The channel was founded as a joint venture betweenJerry Buss,majority owner of theLos Angeles LakersandLos Angeles Kings,and cable television pioneerBill Daniels,who held a minority ownership interest in both professional sports franchises, which carried most of theirNBAandNHLgames on the network. Prime Ticket was headquartered in a small office building across the street from theGreat Western ForuminInglewood,then the home stadium of the Kings and Lakers.
Prime Ticket caught on with cable subscribers inSouthern Californiaas it was founded at the height of the Lakers' 1980s championship run, and later got a boost from the trade ofWayne Gretzkyto the Kings in 1988. It was also unique among regional sports networks, in that it operated as a basic cable channel, instead of apremium serviceas many of the RSNs operating at the time did.
Within a few years, Daniels bought out most of Buss's shares in Prime Ticket and became the channel's majority owner. In 1989, Daniels partnered with cable television providerTele-Communications Inc.to form a new group of regional sports networks. Prime Ticket served as the flagship charter network, joined by the Prime Sports Network (nowAT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain), an owned-and-operated outlet based inDenver,near TCI's corporate headquarters in the suburb ofEnglewood.The partnership also purchasedDallas-basedHome Sports Entertainmentand its share ofOrlando-basedSunshine Network.HSE had been in operation since 1983, while Sunshine had debuted in 1988. These four networks formed the cornerstones of the Prime Network group, along with several others already owned by TCI.[1][2]Prime quickly obtained rights to thePac-10 Conference footballand secured affiliation agreements with other major regional sports networks includingHome Team Sports(Baltimore),MSG Network(New York),New England Sports Network(Boston), andPro-Am Sports System(Detroit)[3]Prime formed a partnership withRaycom Sportsthat allowed to two companies to jointly-bid on rights and gave Prime the right to broadcast out-of-market games that Raycom already held rights to. Through this partnership Prime broadcast sporting events from theSouthwestandBig Eightconferences.[4]
In 1991, Prime merged itsSan Francisco-based Pacific Sports Network (co-owned withViacom) withRainbow Programming's SportsChannel Bay Area formingSportsChannel Pacific.This would be the first joint-venture between Prime and its rivalSportsChannel.Negotiations about a larger partnership continued. Finally, in 1993, Liberty Media,NBC,and Rainbow formedPrime SportsChannel Networks,a joint venture in which the companies pooled programming and advertising sales between Prime and Cablevision/NBC's SportsChannel. Bill Daniels exited the partnership just before the deal was announced.[5]Through this partnership, the two companies formed two national sports-related channels, the sports news serviceNewSportandAmerican Sports Classics,a network focusing on replays of past sporting events and historical sports documentaries.
In August 1994, Daniels sold his share in Prime Ticket and the Prime Network to TCI sister companyLiberty Media.On November 16, 1994, Liberty Media announced that it would adopt a unified identity for its owned-and-operated regional sports networks under the "Prime Sports"brand. The move was part an alignment of the networks that would include a shift towards a common schedule of programming across the networks, outside each outlet's own regionally exclusive sports telecasts (including the incorporation of sports-related programs aimed at women and children, and the launch of a twice-nightly national sports news program, titledPress Box;the name originated from a local sports highlights show on Prime Ticket that began airing in 1990). Liberty also created an in-house sales service to sell national advertisements for the regional networks (replacingGroup W Sports Marketing).[6]The rebrand took effect in spring 1995.
In 1995, Prime Network's retail subsidiary, Prime Sports Merchandising, purchased select sports apparel stores that maintained locations inside shopping malls throughout the United States, and rebranded them as Prime Sports Shops, using the regional networks to promote the stores.[7]
Restructuring into Fox Sports Net
editOn October 31, 1995,News Corporation,which sought to create its own group of regional sports networks as a cable venture forFox Sports,which was formed the year prior through theFox Broadcasting Company's acquisition of the television rights to theNFL'sNational Football Conference,acquired a 50% ownership interest in Liberty's U.S.-based regional Prime Sports networks and its international networksPremier Sports(Australia),Prime Deportiva(Latin America) andPrime Sports Asia.[8]Liberty and News Corporation created Fox/Liberty Networks as aholding companyfor the co-owned regional sports properties. In exchange, News Corporation also sold a 7.5% interest inStar TVto Liberty Media.[9]
On July 3, 1996, News Corporation and Liberty Media announced that the Prime Sports networks would be relaunched as part of the newFox Sports Netgroup, with the eight Prime Sports owned-and-operated networks adopting brands that combined the "Fox Sports" name with the state or region served by the respective network.[10]the Prime Sports-branded affiliates were officially relaunched as Fox Sports Net on November 1, 1996.[11][12][13]
On December 22, 2006, News Corporation sold its interests inFSN Pittsburgh(the former "Prime Sports KBL" ),FSN Utah(the former "Prime Sports Intermountain West" ),FSN Northwest(the former "Prime Sports Northwest" ) andFSN Rocky Mountain(the former "Prime Sports Rocky Mountain" ) to Liberty Media, in an asset trade in which News Corporation also traded its 38.5% ownership stake in satellite providerDirecTVfor $550 million in cash and stock, in exchange for Liberty Media's 16.3% stake in the company.[14]Liberty later spun off the four networks in a partial assetspin-offof DirecTV into a separate company of the same name, while Liberty also increased its share in DirecTV from 48% to 54%, and Liberty ownerJohn Maloneand his family acquired an additional 24% interest.[15]DirecTV Sports Networks,which assumed responsibility for the four Prime-turned-FSN networks,[16]rebranded them under theRoot Sportsbrand on April 1, 2011.[17]
Networks
editOwned-and-operated
edit| Channel | Region served | Year joined/launched | Current owner/status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Cadena Deportiva | Arizona California Nevada Hawaii |
1993 | Fox Deportes,owned byFox Corporation | Operated as Spanish-language version of Prime Ticket. |
| Prime Sports Intermountain West | Utah Idaho Montana Nevada andWyoming |
1989 | Defunct; merged underAT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountainas a sub-feed with no distinct branding in 2017. | |
| Prime Sports KBL | western, central and northeasternPennsylvania central and southernWest Virginia easternOhio westernMaryland extreme easternKentucky |
1989 | SportsNet Pittsburgh,owned byFenway Sports Groupand thePittsburgh Pirates. | Launched by TCI in 1986; known as KBL Entertainment Network until 1994 |
| Prime Sports Midwest | Missouri southernIllinois Indiana easternNebraska easternKansas westernKentucky |
1989 | FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, owned by Diamond Sports Group | |
| Prime Sports Northwest | Washington Oregon Idaho Montana Alaska |
1989 | Root Sports Northwest, owned by theSeattle Mariners | Launched by TCI andViacomin 1988 as Northwest Cable Sports; rebranded in 1989 |
| Prime Sports Rocky Mountain | Colorado Wyoming Southern Idaho westernKansas westernNebraska northeasternNevada westernSouth Dakota |
1988 | Defunct | Launched by Daniels in 1988; Known as Prime Sports Network until 1990 |
| Prime Sports Southwest | northern and easternTexas Oklahoma northernLouisiana New Mexico Arkansas |
1989 | FanDuel Sports Network Southwest, owned by Diamond Sports Group | Launched by Warner-Amex in 1983; Known as Home Sports Entertainment (HSE) until 1994 |
| Prime Sports Upper Midwest | Iowa Minnesota North Dakota South Dakota Wisconsin |
1990 | Defunct | Prime Sports Upper Midwest was the only U.S.-based Prime-owned outlet to cease operations, doing so on December 31, 1995. |
| Prime Sports West | Southern California Arizona Hawaii Nevada |
1985 | FanDuel Sports Network West, owned by Diamond Sports Group (operates as a sister network to the present-day Prime Ticket) |
Known as Prime Ticket until 1994. |
Affiliates
edit| Channel | Region served | Year of affiliation | Current owner/status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Sports Network | Western New York | 1991 | defunct | owned byAdelphia Communications Corporation |
| Home Team Sports | Delaware Maryland south-centralPennsylvania Virginia Washington, D.C. West Virginia |
1989 | Monumental Sports Network,owned and operated byMonumental Sports & Entertainment | Previously owned byWestinghouse Broadcasting,also affiliated with SportsChannel |
| MSG Network | New York northernNew Jersey northeastPennsylvania southernConnecticut |
1989 | Owned bySphere Entertainment | |
| NESN | Massachusetts eastern and central Connecticut Vermont Maine New Hampshire Rhode Island |
1989 | Owned by theFenway Sports GroupandDelaware North | |
| PASS Sports | Michigan northwesternOhio northeasternIndiana northeastWisconsin |
1989 | defunct; team broadcast rights acquired byFox Sports Detroit | |
| SportsChannel Pacific | northern and central California northwestern Nevada parts of southernOregon |
1989 | NBC Sports Bay Area, owned by NBCUniversal | Created in 1991 as merger of TCI/Viacom's Pacific Sports Network (launched as a Prime affiliate in 1989) andCablevision/NBC's SportsChannel Bay Area |
| SportSouth | Georgia Mississippi Alabama Kentucky North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee |
1990 | FanDuel Sports Network South, owned by Diamond Sports Group | Partially owned by Liberty Media, in conjunction with theTurner Broadcasting Systemduring association with Prime. |
| Sunshine Network | Florida | 1989 | FanDuel Sports Network Sun, owned by Diamond Sports Group | Liberty had 49% ownership |
International
edit| Channel | Region served | Year joined/launched | Current owner/status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Sports | Australia | 1995 | Fox Sports Australia,owned byFox Sports Pty Limited |
| Prime Deportiva | Latin America | 1996 |
Operation have since regionalised
|
| Prime Sports | pan-Asia | 1991 | Operation have since regionalised
|
| TopSport | Brazil | 1991 | Defunct; replaced bySporTVin 1994 |
Prime Sports Showcase
editPrime Sports Showcasewas a short-lived sports network that focused on women's sports. It was launched in November 1994. The network reached 45 million homes.[18]Other programming on the Showcase network included Spanish Language programming and sporting events originating from Spanish speaking countries.[19]The channel folded in late 1996.
Notable programming
editThe Prime Network was revolutionary in the sense that it was one of the first sports networks to provide live national coverage of regional auto racing series (such as theNASCAR West Series) and lower-division national series (such as theARCA stock car series). It was also the exclusive live broadcast home to theUSAR Hooters ProCup Seriesfrom the series' inception in 1994 until Prime Sports converted into Fox Sports Net in November 1996, whenESPN2secured the rights to the series (running the series' races from 1997 to 1999). In addition, Prime also televised a great deal ofAmerican Speed Associationraces during the late 1980s and most of the 1990s, sharing the broadcast rights withTNN(nowParamount Network). The network also was the first to televiseNASCAR Winston Cupqualifying sessions on a regular basis, mainly forraces televisedbyTBS.Prime also televised a number ofNASCAR Busch Seriesraces, including theGoody's 300at Daytona, in the early 1990s.
Prime was well known for its broadcasts of both American and Canadianequestriancompetitions, at a level not since matched by any other North American television network, helping the Prime group develop a significant reputation among followers of that sport. Prime also televised theBull Riders Onlyseries. It also televised a number of regionalNational Hockey League,college basketballandcollege footballgames, along withbodybuildingandwrestlingmatches. It would also occasionally air fitness programs (such asBody by Jake). The network was also an early broadcaster ofArena Football Leaguegames up through the early 1990s.
References
edit- ^"TCI, Daniels, McMullen play ball"(PDF).Broadcasting Magazine:44–45. March 27, 1989.RetrievedJune 23,2021.
- ^Stewart, Larry (November 30, 1990)."Sticking to Basics Might Still Pay Off in Future of Cable".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJune 23,2021.
- ^"Football 1989"(PDF).Broadcasting Magazine:35–44. August 14, 1989.RetrievedJune 23,2021.
- ^"Raycom Inc. and Prime Network announce joint venture to acquire and market sports programming to cable"(PDF).Raycom Sports & Entertainment. August 10, 1989.RetrievedJune 23,2021.
- ^"PRIME NETWORK, SPORTSCHANNEL TO MERGE"(PDF).Broadcasting Magazine:4–8. January 11, 1993.RetrievedJune 24,2021.
- ^"LIBERTY SPORTS TAKES ANOTHER NATIONAL NETWORK STEP".Sports Business Journal.November 16, 1994.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^"Liberty Sports acquires Fan Fair retail stores; subsidiary Prime Sports Merchandising, Inc. will capitalize on regional network resources".Businesswire.August 7, 1995. Archived fromthe originalon April 13, 2015.RetrievedApril 10,2015– via The Free Library.
- ^"FOX AND LIBERTY OUTLINE PLANS FOR NEW CABLE VENTURE".Sports Business Journal.November 1, 1995.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^"TCI, LIBERTY AND NEWS CORP. HAMMER OUT SPORTS NET DETAILS".Sports Business Journal.May 10, 1996.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^"FOX GIVES NEW NAME TO SPORTS ALLIANCE: FOX SPORTS NET".Sports Business Journal.July 3, 1996.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^R. Thomas Umstead (July 8, 1996)."Liberty Sports regionals will become Fox Sports net".Multichannel News.The Walt Disney Company.Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2015.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^"FOX SPORTS NET DEBUTS ON NOV. 1".The Columbian.Columbian Publishing Company.Associated Press.September 13, 1996. Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2015.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^"FOX SPORTS NET ANNOUNCES DEBUT FOR NOVEMBER 1".Sports Business Journal.September 13, 1996.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^"News Corp. Reaches Deal with Liberty Media".The New York Times.December 22, 2006.RetrievedApril 10,2015.
- ^Spangler, Todd (May 4, 2009)."DirecTV, Liberty Media Announce Spin-Off Plan".Multichannel News.RetrievedApril 16,2015.
- ^Reynolds, Mike (November 20, 2009)."Liberty Sports Rebrands As DirecTV Sports Networks".Multichannel News.NewBay Media.RetrievedApril 16,2015.
- ^"'Root Sports' new name for sports networks ".Denver Business Journal.American City Business Journals.December 17, 2010.
- ^Barnes, Shirley (July 23, 1995)."MAKING HIS PITCH".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedJune 23,2021.
- ^McNeil, Harold (December 31, 1994)."TCI ADDS 3 CHANNELS, HIKES RATES".The Buffalo News.RetrievedJune 23,2021.