Tag: AT&T Sportsnet Southwest

Rockets, Astros to launch Space City Home Network on October 3

Tuesday, Oct. 3 is the official launch date of the “Space City Home Network,” which is owned by the #Rockets and Astros. Televised games will begin with the Oct. 10 preseason opener.

In confirmation of widely reported news, the NBA’s Houston Rockets and Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros announced the launch of Space City Home Network (SCHN) on Tuesday, Oct. 3. Beginning that day, fans can follow the network on social media at @SpaceCityHN while finding more information at SpaceCityHN.com.

In a joint release, the Rockets and Astros said they are “acquiring AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery, effective Sept. 30.”

“The change will be a seamless transition for fans, as they will be able to continue to access Rockets and Astros games on the same channels they currently utilize,” the announcement reads.

“The network will be owned by the Rockets and Astros going forward and will operate as a joint venture of the organizations. The teams are committed to delivering great game content and programming, while maintaining and enhancing the award-winning quality that has made the network the premium destination for fans to watch live broadcasts, behind-the-scenes content, and much more.”

The first live broadcast on SCHN, which continues to hold exclusive local television rights for the two franchises, will be the Rockets’ preseason opener vs. Indiana on Oct. 10. In all, SCHN will broadcast more than 220 live games each year, according to the teams.

Additional information and quotes are available below.

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Report: Ownership for Rockets, Astros television rights likely to change

Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns AT&T SportsNet channels, appears poised to exit the business. However, that probably won’t change much for #Rockets broadcasts.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) plans to exit the regional sports network business and has informed affected teams, as first reported by John Ourand of Sports Business Journal.

WBD operates three AT&T SportsNet-branded channels, including AT&T SportsNet Southwest in Houston, which broadcasts games of both the NBA’s Rockets and Major League Baseball’s Astros.

The AT&T channels — and their corresponding sports broadcast contracts —were initiated prior to AT&T’s 2018 merger with Time Warner. From there, those assets transitioned to ownership by WarnerMedia, which was followed by a merger with Discovery in 2021 to form a new entity with no AT&T ownership. The AT&T name stayed constant on the television channels for branding purposes, but in effect, ownership shifted to a separate entity.

Now, it appears that new entity has no interest in continuing with the regional sports network (RSN) business. Per SBJ:

The company has told teams that they have until March 31 to reach an agreement to take their rights back. If the RSNs can’t reach deals with the teams, the channels eventually plan to move forward with a Chapter 7 liquidation filing.

In a statement provided to SBJ, WBD said, “AT&T SportsNet is not immune to the well-known challenges that the entire RSN industry is facing. We will continue to engage in private conversations with our partners as we seek to identify reasonable and constructive solutions.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that in a letter sent to the teams, AT&T SportsNet president Patrick Crumb said that “the business will not have sufficient cash to pay the upcoming rights fees” and WBD “will not fund our shortfalls.”

According to SBJ, the letter proposes that AT&T SportsNet transfer ownership of the networks and programming rights to the teams for no purchase price consideration beyond a release by the teams of any future claims against the networks.

Assuming an agreement is reached, not much should change for local fans in the short-term. In effect, teams will inherit the existing regional carriage agreements that providers like AT&T SportsNet Southwest have with distributors like DirecTV and fuboTV.

Rather than having those distributors pay an RSN, and then an RSN pay the teams, those payments could go directly to the teams. It’s not yet clear if they would stick with the AT&T SportsNet branding or perhaps shift it to something reflecting local control. Existing broadcast teams and related infrastructure would remain.

Relative to prior projections, there could be something of a financial hit to the teams involved. The general decline in linear TV subscribers due to cord-cutting trends means that the overall volume of subscribers — in other words, revenue for the cable and streaming groups — is short of what it was a few years ago. That’s part of why companies like WBD are focusing their efforts elsewhere.

But that trend is industry wide, as evidenced by the potential Diamond Sports bankruptcy filing. That will affect numerous teams who have their rights with RSNs under the Bally Sports brand.

In the longer-term, once existing carriage agreements expire, the transition to local ownership might allow teams to explore direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming options. But that’s likely a number of years away, and each sports league will have conversations with its teams regarding the best path forward. The vast majority of teams and their broadcast partners are experiencing similar challenges.

For now, in AT&T SportsNet markets, it should largely be the status quo for fans in terms of their ability to watch the games.

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Vanessa Richardson to replace Cayleigh Griffin as Rockets’ courtside reporter

Houston sports media personality Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) is the new courtside reporter for #Rockets game broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet, replacing Cayleigh Griffin.

For the 2022-23 NBA season, Houston sports media personality Vanessa Richardson will replace Cayleigh Griffin as courtside reporter for Rockets television broadcasts on regional partner AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

Richardson will work the game broadcasts alongside play-by-play broadcaster Craig Ackerman and analyst Ryan Hollins.

In an announcement to her social media pages, Richardson wrote:

Elated to be the new Houston Rockets sideline reporter!

I can’t wait to travel the country and share the stories of this dynamic team during 80+ games on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. I’ll continue to fill-in as a host/reporter for Astros broadcasts, as well.

Born and raised in Indiana, basketball is naturally my first love. And I LOVE Houston, my adopted home of three years. Let’s get to work.

Richardson is a pregame and postgame host for Houston Astros baseball broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet. She also serves as a sports-talk host and NFL reporter for Houston’s ESPN Radio affiliate, making her one of the only women driving a daily sports-talk show in a major U.S. media market. Prior to that, she spent two years as a sports anchor and reporter at KPRC, Houston’s NBC affiliate.

Richardson has prior basketball experience, as well, having served as the in-arena host for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers during her time at the University of Indianapolis.

AT&T SportsNet Southwest’s game broadcasts for the new NBA season begin with the Rockets’ preseason opener on Sunday, Oct. 2, which should mark Richardson’s first game with the team.

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Rockets to have new courtside TV reporter as Cayleigh Griffin exits

With Cayleigh Griffin moving on after three seasons, the Rockets will soon have a new courtside reporter for their television broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

With Cayleigh Griffin moving on after three seasons in Houston, the Rockets will soon have a new courtside reporter for their television game broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

Griffin had worked with the Rockets since the 2019-20 season, and she teamed on the broadcasts last season with play-by-play broadcaster Craig Ackerman and analyst Ryan Hollins.

In an announcement to her social media pages, Griffin wrote:

As the season approaches, I wanted to let you all know that my time in Houston is coming to an end. We often don’t share everything on social media, but it’s time for me to take a step that allows me to grow, both personally and professionally.

So, Houston, thank you. We have been through a journey — from contending, to COVID, and this rebuilding stage … we’ve seen it all, and I’ve loved every minute. There are truly too many people to thank, but here are a few.

Thank you to the Houston Astros organization for welcoming me in as I filled in on the field and desk, and to the fans who watched me grow in a sport I was not at first comfortable in. To my AT&T SportsNet family, you helped guide me and allowed me to grow. I’m so grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had.

And to the Rockets, there aren’t enough words. Front office, coaching staff, training staff, business operations, PR, and of course, the players — you welcomed me, allowed me inside your world and made me better. I am so immensely grateful for you. Finally, to the fans … thank you for welcoming this East Coast girl down here to Houston and into this family. I have so much love for you and this team, forever.

AT&T SportsNet Southwest’s game broadcasts for the 2022-23 NBA season will begin with the Rockets’ preseason opener on Sunday, Oct. 2, so the network would likely prefer to have Griffin’s replacement named by that date, if possible. Stay tuned!

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Podcast: Cayleigh Griffin on her Houston career and Rockets’ future

Rockets courtside reporter Cayleigh Griffin joins our podcast to discuss highlights from her career and the team’s 2021-22 season, along with priorities for the upcoming NBA draft and 2022-23.

Cayleigh Griffin, courtside reporter for AT&T SportsNet Southwest, joins The Lager Line podcast to reflect on her first three seasons covering the Houston Rockets for television game broadcasts.

Since joining the official television game crew in October 2019, Griffin has watched the Rockets evolve from a veteran title contender built around former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook to the current rebuild, led by talented 20-year-old prospect Jalen Green.

Media topics discussed on the episode include how Griffin’s role has changed over the years; differences in working with veterans versus younger players; and reflections on her first year with Craig Ackerman and Ryan Hollins as the new television trio, as well as the importance of them making efforts to better connect with fans during the rebuild.

Basketball topics include highlights from Houston’s 2021-22 season; the growth shown by young players like Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun; the importance of having veterans like Eric Gordon to help prospects develop; expectations for the upcoming draft; and goals for head coach Stephen Silas entering his third year with the Rockets.

Wednesday’s complete episode can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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Former NBA player Ryan Hollins named lead TV analyst for Rockets

Craig Ackerman and former NBA player Ryan Hollins are officially the new television broadcast duo for the Houston Rockets this season.

Former NBA player and recent league analyst Ryan Hollins will be the lead television analyst for Houston Rockets game broadcasts in the 2021-22 season, the team announced late Thursday. In that role, Hollins is effectively replacing Matt Bullard, who moved into a front office role this offseason after spending more than 15 years in a TV capacity.

Hollins, who did not play for Houston in his 10-year NBA career, joins play-by-play voice Craig Ackerman as the primary broadcasters for official TV partner AT&T SportsNet Southwest. Former Rockets player Mario Elie, who won championships with the franchise in 1994 and 1995, will also appear on AT&T SportsNet’s coverage, according to the team.

From the announcement:

“We hope Rockets fans are as excited as we are to watch the journey of our young players this season,” said Rockets President of Business Operations Gretchen Sheirr.  “We worked with AT&T SportsNet and SportsTalk 790 to put together broadcast teams that will add appreciation and knowledge to the viewing and listening experience.”

Hollins joins the broadcast team from California, where he has worked as a game analyst for CBS and as a studio analyst for Los Angeles Clippers games.  He has also worked as an analyst for ESPN and appeared on various programming for them, including SportsCenter and First Take, and has co-hosted “The Opinionated 7-Footers” podcast this past year.

Cayleigh Griffin returns for her third season as the Rockets sideline reporter and host of the weekly magazine show, “Rockets All Access.”

Once again this season, AT&T SportsNet’s pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage will include Kevin Eschenfelder along with Rockets great and Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy.

New this season, Rockets coverage will include reoccurring appearances by Elie, who played in the NBA for 11 seasons and won two championships with Houston and one with San Antonio before spending 10 seasons as an assistant coach.

“That championship Hakeem won, Houston was the team that made me fall in love with basketball,” Hollins (now 36 years old) told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “As a little boy, to look up and say, ‘Who’s that?’ Me and my dad watched that championship. ‘Dad, who is that? What’s a 2-pointer? What’s a 3-pointer?’ I learned the game of basketball watching the Rockets win a championship. Now, it’s come full circle to have the opportunity to be one of the voices of the Houston Rockets. An average, everyday kid has an opportunity like this.”

Matt Thomas will take over as the full-time voice for Houston’s radio broadcasts. In recent years, Ackerman was the radio broadcaster for home games and television for road games — since longtime Rockets voice Bill Worrell was transitioning into retirement. Thomas was the public address (PA) announcer at Toyota Center and the radio broadcaster for road games, sliding in when Ackerman moved to television.

But now that Worrell is retired, Ackerman and Thomas can each take over in full-time play-by-play roles for TV and radio, respectively.

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Craig Ackerman, Matt Thomas are Rockets’ play-by-play broadcasters

With Bill Worrell out, Craig Ackerman and Matt Thomas will take over as Houston’s play-by-play broadcasters for TV and radio, respectively.

Craig Ackerman and Matt Thomas will each move from part-time to full-time as the play-by-play broadcaster for Rockets television and radio broadcasts, respectively. The news was first reported by the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen and quickly confirmed by both on Twitter.

In recent seasons, long-time TV lead Bill Worrell transitioned to only home games, with Ackerman taking over the road broadcasts. For home games, Ackerman remained as the radio play-by-play voice, which is a role that he had already performed for more than a decade.

But with Worrell retiring after the 2020-21 season, the full-time TV role opened up, and promoting Ackerman — given his experience with the position and franchise — always made the most sense.

The same logic also applies to Thomas, who had taken over as the radio play-by-play voice for road games once Ackerman moved to television. For home games, Thomas was the public address (PA) announcer at Toyota Center, and his promotion to full-time radio duty means that the Rockets will be hiring a new PA announcer before the 2021-22 season.

The changes have not been officially announced, since television broadcasts will feature a new analyst in the aftermath of Matt Bullard’s exit. As with the home PA position, that hire has yet to be finalized.

It remains to be seen whether the Rockets’ radio and television broadcast crews will travel to road games this season. Since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March 2020, road games for the end of 2019-20 and all of 2020-21 were broadcast from a studio in Houston, as a means of minimizing the size of travel parties. For Major League Baseball’s Astros in 2021, the radio crew is traveling to road games, since they are employed by the team. However, the television crew — which is employed by AT&T SportsNet Southwest — is still doing road broadcasts from Houston.

AT&T SportsNet Southwest remains in place as the local and regional television partner of the Rockets, with Houston’s SportsTalk 790 as the flagship station of their regional radio network.

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Matt Bullard not returning as television analyst for Rockets

Bullard spent nine seasons with the Rockets as an NBA player and began his broadcasting career with the franchise in the 2005-06 season.

In a year of dramatic change for the Houston Rockets as an organization, headlined by the departures of former superstar James Harden, general manager Daryl Morey, head coach Mike D’Antoni, and CEO Tad Brown, they can now add television analyst to that long list.

Former player and longtime TV analyst Matt Bullard will not return to his usual role, as first reported by Jackson Gatlin of the Locked on Rockets podcast. Bullard played nine of his 11 NBA seasons in Houston, primarily during the 1990s, and he began calling games as a team broadcaster in the 2005-06 season. Bullard was a reserve forward for the 1993-94 squad that became the first in franchise history to win the NBA title.

Bullard told Gatlin that he was not given a reason for the decision, and he did not ask. Among his comments, via Houston CBS affiliate KHOU:

They called me just a couple days ago and said that they were not going to be renewing my contract. It was a big surprise to me. I felt like the work that we did this year on AT&T SportsNet in the middle of a pandemic — calling games off of monitors, and not being able to travel and be with the team — I felt like the product that we put out this year was some of our best work.

I was looking forward to getting right back at it next season, but they called and said that they will not be renewing my contract. So I won’t be back on AT&T SportsNet next season.

As a broadcaster, Bullard was nominated for two individual Lone Star  EMMY Awards (2010 and 2015) and was part of the broadcast team that won the Lone Star EMMY Award for Live Production in 2013. Most recently, Bullard worked for AT&T SportsNet Southwest, which is the local television affiliate that now broadcasts most of the team’s games.

Veteran play-by-play broadcaster Bill Worrell, who worked with Bullard over the last 15 years, is also not returning to the booth. As part of a gradual retirement plan, Worrell had transitioned to home-only broadcasts over the last few seasons, with Craig Ackerman — the team’s longtime voice on radio broadcasts — taking over the road TV duties.

Since Worrell and Ackerman were only working half of the games, Bullard’s departure could feel the most significant to TV viewers. After all, he and courtside reporter Cayleigh Griffin (who joined prior to the 2019-20 season) were the only consistent voices on local broadcasts.

The Rockets and AT&T SportsNet Southwest have yet to announce their broadcasters for the 2021-22 season, which is likely to begin in October. The timetable for announcements beyond Bullard is not yet clear.

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Legendary Houston broadcaster Bill Worrell to step down after season

Worrell’s final game as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Rockets will be Friday’s 2020-21 home finale versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

After working nearly 40 years as a play-by-play broadcaster for Houston Rockets games on TV, Bill Worrell will retire from the role after Friday’s regular-season home finale versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to the team’s announcement, Worrell will remain a “special contributor” for television partner AT&T SportsNet Southwest next season, allowing him to reach an even 40 years before fully retiring.

Worrell, who turns 77 years old next month, had begun transitioning out of the role in recent seasons. In 2016, Worrell began working only home broadcasts, with radio broadcaster Craig Ackerman taking over television play-by-play duties in road games alongside analyst Matt Bullard. When Ackerman is unavailable for road radio broadcasts, home public address (PA) announcer Matt Thomas takes his place.

Ackerman and Thomas each tweeted their reaction to Tuesday’s news:

AT&T SportsNet Southwest has yet to announce its plans moving forward. If Ackerman is promoted to full-time television broadcasting, as many expect, the team will presumably need to make a new hire or promotion to take over some or all of the radio broadcasts, or perhaps to take over PA duties at Toyota Center (if Thomas gets the full-time radio gig).

Here’s the official text of Tuesday’s press release from the Rockets, which includes comments from both Worrell and owner Tilman Fertitta.

AT&T SportsNet’s Bill Worrell to Broadcast His Final Rockets Game on May 14

Today, AT&T SportsNet’s Bill Worrell announced he will retire as the Rockets television play-by-play broadcaster following Houston’s final home game of the season vs. the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, May 14. Worrell will remain as a special contributor for AT&T SportsNet next season, which will be his 40th with the Rockets, before retiring.

AT&T SportsNet will celebrate Worrell’s illustrious career by having special guests join throughout his final broadcast on Friday, including Rockets owner Tilman J. Fertitta. In a statement, Worrell said:

I have decided that after four decades of broadcasting Rockets games, it’s time to step away from the day-to-day grind of the booth. To have worked for my hometown team and to have been a part of bringing so many memorable moments into your homes over the years, including the back-to-back championships, has been the greatest joy of my life.

The wonderful experiences and the amazing people I’ve met along the way has made this journey more than I could have ever imagined. Although I’ll miss connecting with Rockets fans on game nights, my goal now is to play as many top 100 golf courses as I can before my next permanent retirement. I have played 38 so far, so I have plenty of golf to play. I’d like to thank the Houston Rockets organization, AT&T SportsNet, and most importantly, the fans that have allowed me to be a small part of their lives. It has been an incredible ride!

Fertitta added:

Throughout sports, several broadcasters have become synonymous with their team because of how they welcomed and engaged generations of fans, and Bill Worrell has done that for the Houston Rockets. We thank Bill for nearly four decades of helping to create unforgettable moments for Rockets fans and are honored to call him a ‘Rocket for Life.’

A Houston native, Worrell began his television career in 1970 shortly after graduating from the University of Houston. From 1974-80, he served as the sports director for KPRC. Worrell was one of the original employees for Home Sports Entertainment, Houston’s first cable channel which launched in January of 1983.

Worrell also served as an analyst for Houston Astros telecasts from 1985-2005 and did play-by-play for Houston Oilers games and a variety of college sports. He covered and reported numerous national sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, Indianapolis 500, Major League Baseball playoffs, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

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Where to find Rockets on alternate AT&T SportsNet Southwest channel

Known as SW2, the Rockets will occasionally be bumped to the alternate channel when the primary station is broadcasting the Houston Astros.

With the Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season starting this week, the Houston Rockets and Houston Astros will have several overlapping game times over the remainder of the 2020-21 NBA season.

That’s relevant because the Rockets and Astros share AT&T SportsNet Southwest as a television provider. When games overlap, as they do Friday, the network launches an “alternate” channel known as SW2.

While both teams will likely have a handful of games bumped to the alternate channel, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Houston’s NBA team has more broadcasts moved — since the Rockets are in a rebuilding season, whereas the Astros are hoping to contend for another championship.

On Friday, the Astros’ game at Oakland is airing on the usual channel, while the Rockets’ contest at Boston is on SW2. According to the network’s website, these are where SW2 can be found on all distributors:

Affiliate PRIMARY SW2
DirecTV 674 674-1
AT&T Uverse 758 and 1758 HD 697 and 1697 HD
Xfinity 39 and 639 HD 710
Consolidated 42 and 723 HD 43
btel 31 and 131 HD 331
enTouch 73 and 473 HD 82 and 482 HD
Phonoscope 35 and 293 HD 118 and 301 HD
Kinetic 635 and 1635 HD 636 and 1636 HD
I-Net 98 99
MidSouth Fiber 113 114
fuboTV Available Available
AT&T TV Available Available
AT&T TV Now Available Available

The Rockets will also be on SW2 for Sunday’s game versus New Orleans, with the Astros on the primary. For Monday night’s games, it will flip, with the Rockets getting the primary slot. The schedule for each “conflict” game over the remainder of the NBA season is available here.

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