Aaron Judge, captain of the New York Yankees.
Erick W. Rasco | Sports Illustrated | Getty Images
Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment, the joint venture between MSG Networks and YES Network, will launch a new app this fall that will broadcast local games from seven teams in the New York area.
The package announced on Wednesday reportedly marks the first time two regional sports networks have combined their apps into one bundle.
Gotham Sports app launches ahead of launch NBA and NHL seasons. Locals can watch the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Brooklyn Nets and New York Yankees with a subscription.
The Gotham package that gives access to all those teams costs $359.99 per year and $41.99 per month, almost identical to the monthly price of Fox, Disney And Discovery of Warner Bros.'s joint streaming service Venu, which was blocked with a temporary injunction earlier this month.
Customers who only watch some of those teams can also purchase access to just the MSG+ or YES App services for $29.99 and $24.99 per month, respectively. If they already have MSG Networks and YES Network through their pay TV subscription, they will get the Gotham Sports App services at no additional cost.
“Given the increasing fragmentation of channels airing fan-favorite sports programming, the Gotham Sports App provides fans of our teams with one easy access point to sporting events in the New York region from MSG Networks and YES Network,” said Andrea Greenberg, president and CEO of MSG Networks, in a press release.
Notably, SportsNet New York — the regional sports network that broadcasts the New York Mets — is not included in this joint venture. It is available only via FuboTV, DirecTV stream and online login for those who pay for cable.
Sterling Entertainment Companies, Comcast And Charter co-owner of SportsNet New York.
The regional sports networking industry has undergone major changes in recent years. Boston’s local cable network that aired Red Sox and Bruins games launched its first standalone regional streaming service in 2022. Other markets followed suit.
Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, filed for bankruptcy in March 2023, forcing many professional teams across all leagues to change the way they broadcast their games.
A handful of NBA, WNBA and NHL teams have turned to local broadcasters, the most recent examples being the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Some MLB teams have opted to have their games produced by the league.
The Gotham Sports app isn’t the first regional sports streaming option that New Yorkers have had. YES Network and MSG Networks both launched separate streaming services last year, and customers who only want one of the networks’ services and not the combined package can still pay a cheaper rate.
Not all of the new regional sports streaming services are following the subscription model. The NHL’s Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks both announced their games would air locally on Victory+, a free, ad-supported streaming service from A Parent Media Co.
Previously, both teams' local games were broadcast by a regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of CNBC.