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| Type | Regional sports network | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| Broadcast area | Arizona New Mexico Utah Southern Nevada | ||||||||||||||||||
| Slogan | "The Heart of Arizona. The Heart of the Fan" | ||||||||||||||||||
| Headquarters | Phoenix, Arizona | ||||||||||||||||||
| Programming | |||||||||||||||||||
| Language(s) | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Picture format | 720p (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ownership | |||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Diamond Sports Group | ||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios | ||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||
| Launched | September 1, 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former names | Prime Sports Arizona (1996) FOX Sports Arizona (1996–2000, 2008–2021) FOX Sports Net Arizona (2000–2004) FSN Arizona (2004–2008) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Links | |||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||
| Availability | |||||||||||||||||||
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Bally Sports Arizona is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts professional, collegiate and high school sports events, with a primary focus on Phoenix area teams. It is available on most cable providers throughout Arizona; Bally Sports Arizona is also available nationwide on satellite provider DirecTV.
Overview[]
The channel originally launched as Prime Sports Arizona on September 1, 1996, serving as an affiliate of the Prime Network. Two months later on November 1, the channel was rebranded as Fox Sports Arizona, after Liberty Media sold the Prime Network to News Corporation, with Prime's regional networks serving as the cornerstone of the new Fox Sports Networks chain of regional sports networks (which Liberty originally co-owned in a joint venture with News Corporation).[1]
Fox Sports Arizona logo, used from 2008 to 2012.
Former Fox Spots Arizona logo, used from 2012–2021
On December 14, 2017, as part of a merger between both companies, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to acquire all 22 regional Fox Sports networks from 21st Century Fox, including Fox Sports Arizona. However, on June 27, 2018, the Justice Department ordered their divestment under antitrust grounds, citing Disney's ownership of ESPN. On May 3, 2019, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios (through their joint venture, Diamond Holdings) bought Fox Sports Networks from The Walt Disney Company for $10.6 billion. The deal closed on August 22, 2019.[2][3] On November 17, 2020, Sinclair announced an agreement with casino operator Bally's Corporation to serve as a new naming rights partner for the FSN channels. Sinclair announced the new Bally Sports branding for the channels on January 27, 2021.[4] On March 31, 2021, coinciding with the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season, Fox Sports Arizona was rebranded as Bally Sports Arizona, resulting in 18 other Regional Sports Networks renamed Bally Sports in their respective regions..[5]
Bally Sports Arizona holds the regional cable television rights to three of the four major professional sports franchises in the Phoenix area: the Arizona Diamondbacks (Major League Baseball, with rights to most regular season games), the Phoenix Suns (NBA, with rights to most regular season and early-round playoff games) and the Arizona Coyotes (NHL, also with rights to most regular season and early-round playoff games), as well as the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA). Also, they carry games for the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League (which also stream live on YouTube) and the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (which are also streamed live on AHL.TV). In addition, Bally Sports Arizona also televises collegiate sports events involving the Arizona State Sun Devils, as well as a number of events from other teams of the Pac-12 Conference.
Fox Sports Arizona formerly held the broadcast rights to select Arizona Wildcats sporting events from its inception until the spring of 2009; the University of Arizona shifted these event telecasts to the Arizona Wildcats Sports Network, beginning in August 2009, which were simulcast on FSA from 2010 until 2012, upon the launch of the Pac-12 Network and its dedicated "Pac-12 Arizona" subfeed network devoted to Arizona and Arizona State University sports.
Other services[]
Bally Sports Arizona Plus[]
Fox Sports Arizona launched an alternate feed, Fox Sports Arizona Plus, on April 25, 2008. Created as an overflow active only during instances in which a sporting event that Fox Sports Arizona holds rights to overlaps with another game being broadcast on the primary channel, it was established to resolve scheduling conflicts involving the 2008 NBA Playoffs Game 3 matchup between Phoenix Suns and a scheduled Arizona Diamondbacks game on that date. Now branded as Bally Sports Arizona Plus, it's available on many cable providers.
Starting in April 2021, a third overflow channel will be used for at least three Diamondbacks games. The additional channel branded as Bally Sports Arizona Xtra has only been announced to be available to subscribers of DirecTV on ch. 686-2 and Cox Communications on the YurView channel.[6]
On-air staff[]
- Steve Berthiaume - Diamondbacks play-by-play announcer
- Bob Brenly - Diamondbacks color commentator
- Luis Gonzalez - Diamondbacks backup color commentator
- Tom Candiotti - Diamondbacks backup color commentator
- Jody Jackson - Diamondbacks and Coyotes studio host
- Kate Longworth - Diamondbacks field reporter
- Todd Walsh - Diamondbacks and Coyotes studio host
- Joe Borowski - Diamondbacks studio analyst
- Brandon Webb - Diamondbacks studio analyst
- Kevin Ray - Suns play-by-play announcer
- Eddie Johnson - Suns color commentator
- Ann Meyers - Suns color commentator
- Tom Leander - Suns backup play-by-play and studio host
- Tom Chambers - Suns studio analyst
- Matt McConnell - Coyotes play-by-play announcer
- Tyson Nash - Coyotes color analyst
- Paul Bissonnette - Coyotes studio analyst
References[]
- ↑ R. Thomas Umstead (July 8, 1996). Liberty Sports regionals will become Fox Sports net. The Walt Disney Company.
- ↑ Sinclair completes acquisition of regional sports networks from Disney. Bloomberg (22 August 2019).
- ↑ Littleton, Cynthia. Sinclair Clinches Disney-Regional Sports Networks Deal, Byron Allen Joins as Partner (en).
- ↑ Novy-Williams, Eben (2020-11-19). Bally’s Buys Sinclair RSN Naming Rights As Part of Sports Betting Push (en-US).
- ↑ Bally Sports, Coming March 31. YouTube (Fox Sports Midwest) (March 17, 2021).
- ↑ Bally Sports Arizona announces Arizona Diamondbacks 2021 regular season schedule (24 March 2021).
External links[]
| Arizona Coyotes | |
|---|---|
| The Franchise | Franchise • Winnipeg Jets • NHL Expansion Draft • Seasons • Draft Picks • GMs |
| Arenas | America West Arena • Gila River Arena • Mullett Arena |
| Head Coaches | Hay • Schoenfeld • Francis • Bowness • Gretzky • Tippett • Tocchet |
| Rivals | Coyotes-Stars • Coyotes-Kings • Coyotes-Ducks • Coyotes-Avalanche |
| Affiliates | Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) • Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL) |