Latest news with #SpaceCityHomeNetwork
USA Today
20-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Space City Home Network to offer local playoff broadcasts for Rockets-Warriors series
Space City Home Network to offer local playoff broadcasts for Rockets-Warriors series For fans wanting a local call, Houston's Space City Home Network (SCHN) will broadcast Rockets-Warriors playoff games for most of the first round. SCHN will also have pregame and postgame coverage. In the 2025 NBA playoffs, every game will be broadcast to a nationwide audience by one of the league's national television partners. But for first-round series, with the lone exception of ABC exclusives, games can also be broadcast by each team's regional sports network (RSN). For the Rockets, that's Space City Home Network (SCHN), which the organization jointly runs with Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. SCHN is available on distribution platforms including DirecTV, Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, and fuboTV (free trial). So, in the case of Sunday night's Game 1 between the Rockets and Golden State Warriors, fans have the option of watching either the national feed on TNT or the local feed on SCHN. The SCHN broadcast will have the team's usual announcers during the regular season — Craig Ackerman as play-by-play, Ryan Hollins as analyst, and Vanessa Richardson as sideline reporter — on the call. For Hollins and Richardson, who joined the Rockets' broadcast team in late 2021 and 2022, respectively, it will be their first time calling live playoff action. 'Craig, Ryan, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be broadcasting playoff games,' Richardson told Rockets Wire. 'I have so much respect for national media, but I think Houston sports fans will enjoy the option of watching the first-round games with their local broadcasters.' Of the first four games of the best-of-seven series, only Game 3 is an ABC exclusive. That means SCHN will carry Game 1, Game 2, and Game 4. The broadcast networks and tipoff times for Game 5 and beyond (schedule) have yet to be determined, since those games are not yet necessary. As part of its coverage, SCHN will also have its usual pregame and postgame shows featuring former Rockets as analysts — most notably, Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy and native Houstonian Gerald Green. These pregame and postgame shows can run immediately before and after every game, including ABC exclusives. For example, even though SCHN can't broadcast Saturday's Game 3, the network does have a live postgame show scheduled for that night. Those shows will include live reaction, analysis, and interviews with players and coaches from the Rockets. 'I'm passionate about sharing the incredible things this franchise is doing, as someone who is fortunate to be around this team daily,' said Richardson, who also attends every practice and shootaround while collecting exclusive content and one-on-one interviews for use on future broadcasts and social media. All NBA playoff games in the second round and beyond are national TV exclusives, though SCHN —should the Rockets advance — would still have the right to air pregame and/or postgame content. In that round, the winner of the Western Conference series between the No. 2 Rockets (52-30) and No. 7 Warriors (48-34) will face the winner of the series featuring the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers and No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2026 and beyond, under the NBA's new agreement with its national TV partners, every playoff game — first round included — will be a national exclusive. Thus, the 2025 playoff run is the last under the current structure. But for fans of the Rockets, it does provide a few more opportunities to see and hear the familiar voices of their own broadcast crew during a memorable 2024-25 season. Tipoff of Game 1 and Game 2 is at 8:30 p.m. Central on Sunday and Wednesday nights, respectively, with both games available to watch on SCHN. Since Houston had the superior regular-season record and holds home-court advantage in the series, both will be played inside the team's home arena of Toyota Center. SCHN's most recent playoff broadcast was Game 7 of Houston's 2020 first-round series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, which the Rockets won to advance to the second round. Prior to 2025, that was the last year the Rockets qualified for the NBA playoffs. More: By the numbers: Key head-to-head statistics for Rockets, Warriors in 2024-25 season
New York Times
10-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How to watch the Houston Astros in 2025: Schedule, broadcast info and blackout rules
Baseball is back in Crush City — or Clutch City, Space City, Screw City, whatever you're partial to. The Astros look considerably different this year with Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman playing elsewhere. And the process of actually watching them keeps getting harder, with more tributaries in the streaming game and blackout rules on national broadcasts. Advertisement Here, we navigate the tangled cords to explain what you need for viewing all 162 games, and which ones will be subject to regional blackouts. We also highlight the primetime slots in Houston's first-half schedule (second-half will be announced later in the season). May the orange on your Jose Altuve jersey still pop, and may your calls to 281-330-8004 go right through. Lastly, let's get one 'Holy Toledo!' for the H-Town legend Milo Hamilton. Without cable, Fubo has the most games covered this season. Anything on Space City Home Network, ESPN, Fox or MLB Network can be streamed here; TBS cannot. What you need to watch these games: The 'pro' plan starts at $84.99 monthly, with an extra charge for 4K ultra-HD. For more, there is the add-on, which streams every out-of-market game for $29.99 a month, and the Sports Lite package (with MLB Network) for $9.99 a month. This is the digital home for the Astros and the NBA's Houston Rockets. The network is co-owned by both franchises. Native Houstonian Todd Kalas is back for his seventh season as the 'Stros' television narrator, having called ALCS-or-better squads in his first six campaigns. Kalas is the son of an all-time great sportscaster — Harry Kalas, who called Philadelphia Phillies games from 1971 to 2009 and did voice-overs for NFL Films. That prolific career started in the Houston Astrodome in 1965. Kalas and Geoff Blum have a natural and sunny Texas chemistry. Blum had two separate stints in Houston, playing a total of five seasons and hitting .259. His definitive moment in front of Houston fans came in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series — a go-ahead frozen rope homer in the 14th inning … for the Chicago White Sox. It's not too awkward now that the club has racked up hardware of its own. Advertisement The vast majority of games are available on Space City Home Network. Regional sports networks (RSNs) just don't cover national broadcasts. Games on Apple TV exclusives are also blacked out, but games on MLB Network and Roku's 'Sunday Leadoff' series are available. What you need to watch these games: Fubo, DirecTV Stream (starting $80-90 monthly), Amazon Prime (FDSN add-on at $20/month), FanDuel Sports Network app ($20/month or starting at $106 annually) What you need to watch these games: A carrier that has Space City Home Network MLB Network airs almost 300 local broadcasts for national audiences, so out-of-towners will find some Space City Home Network games there. MLB Network also offers 26 unique, produced-in-house 'showcase' games not subject to local blackouts. The subscription has every game except the ones on national TV and in-market RSNs, which are determined by zip code. As long as you're not in the Astros' region, you'll have access to all the local broadcasts for a one-time cost of $150. Fubo has the add-on for $29.99 a month. What you need to watch these games: MLB Network for select games / for all of them The league has partnered with ESPN since 1990; that ends this fall. Yup, the purveyors of the iconic music are indeed opting out of their remaining baseball broadcasts. For this season, you'll still find select primetime Astros games. Karl Ravech and Jon Sciambi are usually on the mic. Think Sundays, especially 'Sunday Night Baseball.' The first-half schedule lists Houston on ESPN once: Sunday, April 20, against Fernando Tatis Jr. and his San Diego Padres. These games can also be streamed on ESPN+. Advertisement Fox is where you'll hear Joe Davis or Adam Amin on the call, plus former MLB pitcher John Smoltz. Fox often has a Saturday spot. Right now, the Astros are scheduled for two FS1 looks: Saturday, April 19, versus the Padres and the following Saturday in Kansas City. This is the Tuesday action. Brian Anderson does the 'TBS Tuesday' games; Pedro Martínez, Curtis Granderson and other former players appear on their studio show. TBS broadcasts can also be streamed on Max. Joe Espada's group doesn't have anything scheduled here yet. Roku The purple metropolis now has 'MLB Sunday Leadoff' games free from blackout restrictions. The intrastate Houston-Texas series gets its Sunday game here. Houston has one first-half draw on Apple TV: Friday, May 16, versus Texas. In general, think Apple TV on Friday, Fox on Saturday, ESPN on Sunday, with those games frustratingly blacked out for local viewers. Streaming and Betting/Odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
