Latest news with #NESNNation
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NESN Nation Takes Different Swing at Sports FAST Channel
New England sports outlet NESN thinks it can tackle new viewers with a free, ad-supported outlet that shows more than just clips, archived studio shows and old games. The primary broadcaster of games from the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, NESN is launching NESN Nation, a FAST channel that CEO David Wisnia believes will lure viewers to its telecasts by providing something other outlets don't: original programming. More from Variety Netflix's Red Sox Docuseries 'The Clubhouse' Sets Release Date, Teaser Neil Diamond Sings 'Sweet Caroline' at Boston Red Sox Game in Rare Post-Retirement Appearance NESN Launches Digital Subscription Service With Red Sox, Bruins 'We are launching this initiative as another way to create unique storytelling about what matters to our fans and our viewers,' he says in a recent interview. 'We are looking to reach viewers not only inside the region we cover, but also nationwide.' NESN, backed by both Fenway Sports Group and Delaware North, is grappling with new disruption in the world of regional sports coverage. So-called regional sports networks have long commanded top affiliate fees from cable and satellite systems, but as more consumers choose streaming venues and even direct-subscription options, economic support for those linear assets has eroded. Last year, for example, YES Network and MSG Networks, both of which showcase New York sports, launched a digital joint venture that streams games from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Brooklyn Nets and New York Yankees. NESN Nation will sport more than 30 hours of live and original programming each week, including live games, live gameday content, live press conferences, interviews, game and sports betting analysis, features, documentaries and video podcasts, as well as content from NESN's library. The FAST channel will serve up four live Red Sox games from Spring Training in February and March, as well as live streams of the 'Morning Skates' and 'Pregame Skates' studio shows. 'Unobstructed Views,' a commentary-driven game coverage alternative will also appear on NESN Nation, as will a weekly three-hour block of Livepool FC coverage that features match highlights, recaps, and analysis plus behind the scenes content produced by the team. 'We are going to have a wide variety of stuff distinguishing us from the rest of the FAST channels,' says Wisnia, who joined NESN as president and CEO in September after working at Alvarez & Marsal, a global management consulting firm, where he was a managing director, specializing in media and entertainment operations and strategy. He succeeded Sean McGrail, who is retiring after 40 years at NESN. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
Boston Globe
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
NESN to launch ‘NESN Nation,' free streaming channel
But NESN Nation will feature more than 30 hours of live programming a week, including four Red Sox spring training games: February 23, March 2, March 9, and March 23. Those games will be available on all of the aforementioned platforms other than Twitch. The latter two spring games will also be available on Samsung TV Plus, which will add NESN Nation in the coming weeks. Advertisement 'Obviously our rights are limited to our geographical territories, but at the outset we are super excited about launching with four Red Sox spring training games,'' said David Wisnia, NESN's president and CEO. 'As this continues to evolve, we'll look at other opportunities with the Bruins regular season, with the Red Sox, or any other live content on the college side to continue to expand our offerings.' It should be emphasized that NESN Nation is not a replacement for the NESN 360 app or the streaming service or cable provider viewers subscribe to in order to watch Bruins and Red Sox games, but rather a companion or complement, with the purpose of expanding content options to New England sports fans outside of the New England market. 'In today's shifting environment it's critical that we look for ways to reach our viewers where they are and not just limited to the Northeast,'' said Wisnia. 'In the close to four months I've been [at NESN], I can't tell you how many times people outside of Boston, outside of our coverage area, have come to me and said, 'hey how do I connect with your brands?' Whether it's the Red Sox, whether it's the Bruins or anything else in our arsenal, this is an opportunity to do that.' Rather than having a grid or menu of content to choose from, as one would on many streaming services, NESN Nation will function as a 24/7, programmed channel. Advertisement Programming that will be available in the coming days and weeks includes: ▪ Live streams of Bruins morning and pregame skates. Those will include morning skates on March 11 and 17, and pregame skates on February 25, March 4, and March 15. ▪ 'Unobstructed Views,' NESN's alternate, commentary-driven game coverage show featuring Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Raycroft. ▪ Six Athletes Unlimited women's basketball games. ▪ Liverpool FC coverage, including a weekly three-hour block featuring match highlights, recaps, and analysis plus team-produced behind the scenes content. ▪ Eight different video-enabled podcasts including 'Boston Has Entered the Chat' and 'Morning Bru.' ▪ Original and archived NESN features and documentaries, live press conferences, and other behind-the-scenes programming. ▪ Live game telecasts from select colleges. ▪ 'This Week in Hockey East,' a league-produced program previewing the most important games of the weekend. Wisnia noted that viewership on free, advertiser-supported platforms (also known as FAST platforms – Tubi and Pluto are two of the more popular channels) increased 55 percent in 2024, with projections for continued rapid growth in the years ahead. The 'free' aspect has growing appeal to sports fans who have grown increasingly frustrated by rising cable fees and streamers splintering carriage rights so that multiple subscriptions are required to watch, say, every Red Sox game. 'I think it's a business we want to be in and we need to be in as we look for new growth opportunities,' said Wisnia. Chad Finn can be reached at
