SportsNet New York

SportsNet New York
SNY logo
Launched	March 16, 2006
Owned by	New York Mets (65%) Time Warner Cable (27%) NBCUniversal (8%)[1]
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Slogan	Get Your New York Sports Here!
Country	United States
Language	American English
Broadcast area	NY metro area nationwide via satellite
Headquarters	110 West 51st Street (Manhattan)
Sister channel(s)	WNBC NY1
Website	SNY.tv
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	639 (SD/HD)
Cable
Time Warner Cable	Check your local listings for channels
Verizon FiOS	77 SD / 577 HD
Cablevision	60 SD / 718 HD
Comcast	73 SD / 298 & 843 HD (Most Systems)
IPTV
AT&T U-verse	704 SD / 1704 HD

SportsNet New York (SNY) is a New York City-based regional sports cable network which airs in the New York metro area and all of New York state, and nationwide via satellite. It is owned jointly by the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable, and NBCUniversal. Its primary programming is Mets and Big East Conference games, as well as supporting coverage of the Mets and the New York Jets.

About

SNY was created in an effort for the New York Mets to better leverage their broadcasting rights, which were previously held by Cablevision on their MSG Network and FSN New York networks. From 1998 to 2002, Cablevision had a monopoly on all local professional sports franchises in the New York City market, participating in many unfair business practices like moving games to their MSG Metro Channels with limited distribution. In 2002, the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets broke the monopoly by starting the YES Network for their games, leaving the Mets in the Cablevision fold until their contract expired in 2005.

After discussions with potential broadcast partners including Cablevision and YES, the Mets decided to partner with cable providers Time Warner and Comcast to launch their own network in 2006. Unlike the Yankees, who brought the New Jersey Nets with them to YES, the Mets could not find a winter pro team to take up time during their offseason, because the New York Rangers and New York Knicks are owned by Cablevision, and the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils have long-term contracts with Cablevision, likely so they wouldn't defect to YES or what became SNY. Whereas YES primarily focuses on the Yankees and Nets, SNY brands itself to focus on New York sports collectively, providing coverage on all local teams through its daily talk shows and newscasts.

High-definition simulcast

SNY produces all in-studio programs and all Mets games in 1080i high-definition format and in color. Since its inception, all in-studio programming was done in high-definition. In 2006 and 2007, only Mets home games and select limited road games were broadcast in high-definition. Starting with the 2008 season (March 31, 2008), all Mets games are now broadcast in high-definition.

Sports coverage

• Mets: SNY carries at least 120 Mets games per season (with the remainder airing on WPIX, FOX, TBS, or ESPN). Gregg Picker produces the games and Bill Webb, who directs the World Series and the All-Star Game for FOX, is the director for Mets broadcasts on both SNY and WPIX.

• Jets: The New York Jets signed a three-year television deal with SportsNet New York in November 2005, in which SNY carries more than 250 hours of Jets-related content each year. The programming includes both in-season and off-season shows with access to players, coaches and management.

• Big East: In July 2008, the Big East and SNY announced a multi-year deal which gives the channel 16 games of Big East college football and more than 100 games of men's and women's college basketball per season. SNY also produces pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows, as well as coach interviews, for these broadcasts. Additionally, SNY became "the exclusive home" of Rutgers University athletics, which includes encore football game broadcasts (for games televised by ABC or one of ESPN's various channels), weekly coaches shows (for both football and basketball, see Inside Rutgers Football), and press conferences.^[2] Similar coaches shows also air for the Seton Hall University and St. John's University basketball teams, and shows from other schools may also be carried.^[3] ESPN Plus produces the Big East's regional game broadcasts, and coverage may be blacked-out beyond the New York City Nielsen DMA.

• UConn Huskies: In August 2010, the University of Connecticut and SNY announced a multi-year deal to make SNY "the official television home of the UConn Huskies football and men's basketball programs". SNY will feature 300 hours of UConn Huskies programming annually, including 120 hours of game coverage.^[4]

SNY originally carried Big Ten Conference games not on national TV, but the Big Ten's own network now airs those games.^[5] SNY also showed the Sun Belt Conference through ESPN Plus, but no longer does so in order to focus on the Big East Conference.

Original programming

^[6]

Broadcast as seen through the street level window

News

• Daily News Live!: DNL is renowned for its fast-paced, roundtable discussions that focus on the hottest sports and entertainment topics meaningful to New Yorkers. Airing Monday-Friday, SNY’s DNL show features professional and collegiate athletes and coaches, commissioners, actors and actresses, sportscasters, musicians, and politicians who debate topical sports and entertainment issues. DNL also re-airs at 11 p.m & 1:30am Monday-Friday. Jonas Schwartz hosts the show, and longtime New York sports personality Joe Benigno will appear regularly on the show alongside Daily News writers and special guests.
• The WheelHouse: half-hour-long show airing weekdays at 5:30 p.m hosted by Brian Custer, with panelists Brandon Tierney and Marc Malusis. The show incorporates nine innings of fast-paced debate, encompassing the nine most significant sports topics of the day. The Wheelhouse has a sleek on-air baseball-themed look and feel. The Wheelhouse also re-airs at 2am Monday-Friday.

• Loudmouths: half-hour-long sports talk show airing weekdays at 6:00 p.m hosted by Chris Carlin and Adam Schein. The show features these two animated personalities facing off as they delve into the hottest sports topics of the day. Loud Mouths showcases various interactive features, including Carlin and Schein engaging with viewers via live phone calls, e-mails, webcam questions and text messages.

• Geico SportsNite: daily half-hour sports highlights show at 10:00 p.m. & 1:00 a.m. (repeated 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., the latter not on weekends or when there is an afternoon Mets game at 1:00 p.m. or earlier).

• Beer Money!: A half-hour-long game show airing every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Hosts Amber Wilson and Dan Schachner go around New York and New Jersey asking questions pertaining to New York Sports. There are three rounds: $10, $20, and $100. The player can walk away with their earned money at any time, but if they keep going and get a question wrong, the contestant must return the money to the host. Also, a shootout mode in which the first contestant to answer a question wrong loses may be played by two contestants for $50. A similar show with the same title airs on SportsTime Ohio and a similar show called Pocket Money airs on New England Sports Network.

• Mets Classics: classic Mets games from past seasons and the current season (UltiMet Classics).

• Mets Weekly: weekly half-hour Mets coverage, interviews, and stories; premieres Sundays at 6:00 p.m.

• Mets Hot Stove: offseason hot stove discussion about the Mets hosted by Kevin Burkhardt with various local writers.

• Mets Pre-Game Live: half hour-long program which previews the upcoming Mets Games/Series.
• Mets Post-Game Live: half hour-long program which recaps and reviews recent Mets Games and take a look at ahead of upcoming series.

• Kids Clubhouse: weekly half-hour kids' baseball education and coverage; premieres Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. Hosted by Alissa Ali.
• Mets Yearbook: half-hour program of past mets year in reviews from 1962 to 1988.
• Mets Fast Forward: hour-long condensed version of the previous Mets game at 6:00 a.m. & 9:00 a.m. following a Mets game on SNY or PIX11.
• Mets Year in Review: a program recapping the mets season since 2009 hosted by Kevin Burkhardt.

• Jets Open Mic: Live coverage of head coach Rex Ryan's two weekly press conferences.
• Jets Nation: weekly half-hour Jets coverage and interviews hosted by Brian Custer, with analysts Greg Buttle and Ray Lucas; premieres Saturdays at 11:00 AM.

Personalities

Current

• Gary Cohen- Mets play-by-play announcer
• Ron Darling- Mets color commentator/ game analyst
• Keith Hernandez- Mets color commentator/ game analyst
• Kevin Burkhardt- Mets field reporter, Mets alternate play-by-play announcer, host of Mets Hot Stove
• Chris Carlin- Mets pre and post game studio host, Loudmouths co-host , Rutgers football and basketball
• Bob Ojeda- Mets pre and post game studio analyst
• Brian Custer- Jets post game studio host, host of The Wheelhouse, host of Jets Nation
• Adam Schein- Loudmouths co-host, Jets post game studio analyst, Jets Nation analyst, NFL insider/analyst
• Ray Lucas- Jets post game studio analyst, Jets Nation analyst, NFL analyst
• Joe Klecko- Jets post game studio analyst, Jets Nation analyst, NFL analyst
• Jeane Coakley- Jets post game studio analyst, Jets Nation analyst, NFL analyst
• Amber Wilson- Beer Money! co host
• Dan Schachner- Beer Money! co host
• Evan Closky- SNY Intern
• Marc Malusis- The Wheelhouse panelist, GEICO SportsNite contributor
• Jonas Schwartz- Daily News Live host, studio host
• Joe Benigno- Daily News Live panelist
• Gary Apple- GEICO SportsNite anchor, studio host
• Kirk Gimenez- GEICO SportsNite anchor/ reporter, studio host
• Michelle Yu- GEICO SportsNite anchor/ reporter
• Eamon McAnaney GEICO SportsNite anchor/ reporter
• Sweeny Murti- Yankees beat reporter
• Alissa Ali- Kids Clubhouse host
• Tiffany Simons- Mets Weekly host

Former

• Jon Litner (2005–2007): President of SportsNet New York, left to become president of Comcast Sportsnet
• Amanda Cole (2006–2007): Host of Kids Clubhouse
• Gabe Cohen (2008–2009): Host of Kids Clubhouse
• Caitlin Fichte (2008): Host of Kids Clubhouse
• Steve Berthiaume (2006–2007): left network in January 2007 and rejoined ESPN.
• Siafa Lewis (2006–2007): left network January 2008. Joined MLB.com in April 2008 is currently a host on WNBC-NewYork 4's LXTV. Working with WCBS-2 as a sideline reporter for New York Jets games.
• Julie Donaldson (2006–2007): In February 2008, joined Boston NBC affiliate WHDH 7. Host of Mets Weekly.
• Jocelyn Pierce (2008): Former Host of Mets Weekly.
• Julia Alexandria (2008–2010): Former Host of Mets Weekly and Beer Money.
• David Lee (2006): In September 2006 and joined Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
• Matt Yallof (2006–2008): Host of Mets pre- and post-game shows, joined MLB Network in 2009.
• Harold Reynolds (2008): Studio analyst on Mets pre- and post-game shows. In 2009, joined the MLB Network.
• Lee Mazzilli (2007–2008): Studio analyst on Mets pre- and post-game shows.
• Lou Tilley (2006–2007): In 2007, joined Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.
• Chris Cotter (2006–2008): lead Host of Daily News Live, left network in December 2008 and joined Fox Business Network.
• Scott Ferrall (2007–2009): Former Daily News Live and Wheelhouse personality.
• Brandon Tierney (2008–2011): Former Wheelhouse panelist.
• Kenny Choi (2006–2008): SportsNite anchor.
• Alexi Panos (2009–2010): Former Co-Host of Beer Money.

Distribution

SNY is currently fully distributed. That said, the network had been expected to have problems being carried by Cablevision, as Mets games were moved off of Cablevision-owned networks (MSG Network and FSN New York, since renamed MSG Plus). This is similar to the situation when the newly-formed YES Network took the Yankees off of Cablevision's channels. Cablevision sued on the grounds that the Mets might have violated their contract, under which Cablevision theoretically had a year left on the deal, as well as last-refusal rights. However, a Judge ruled in favor of SportsNet New York, essentially holding the Mets had voided their deal with Cablevision entirely by paying a specified buyout fee, believed to exceed $50 million.

Comcast did not launch the network in the Hartford area until March 31, 2008, two years after launch, while Cox Communications systems in central and eastern Connecticut still do not carry the network in any tier of service. Cox Communications recently added SNY on cable 62 in all areas in Connecticut just days after UCONN signed a deal with SNY.

It was announced on August 29, 2011 that SNY added a second feed for Connecticut branded SNY-CT.^[7]

Notes

• Mets games on SNY and post-games delay other programming, such as the 10:00 SportsNite, and preempt all or parts of shows at midnight when a 7:00 game runs long.
• There is no 10:00 SportsNite when the Mets play a game on SNY starting at 8:00 or later.
• Mets games on WPIX (and simulcast on other stations) are produced by SNY.
• All times given in Eastern Time Zone, as SportsNet New York is based in New York City.
• As of the start of the 2007 Mets season, SNY debuted a new set of graphics for both their Mets telecasts and SportsNite telecasts. These graphics include a new scoreboard which goes along the entire top portion of the screen as well as a new sports ticker on the bottom portion of the screen. The ticker now provides more stats including wins, losses, and saves, much like the ESPN Bottom Line ticker. SNY features a "SNY HD" logo in the scoreboard for games that are available in high-definition on both the HD and SD feeds. Games shown on WPIX replace the SNY logo with the PIX11 logo. The scoreboard was updated in the 2009 Mets season.
• None of the programming on SNY was closed-captioned for the hearing impaired until May 1, 2009. On that date the game between the Mets and Phillies was closed-captioned. The FCC gives new stations four years before they are required to begin captioning. As of February, 2010, SNY became fully closed-captioned.
• SNY broadcasts its live talk shows such as Loudmouths, Daily News Live and Mets Pre and Post game shows from a street level studio in the Time-Life Building at the corner of Avenue of the Americas and West 51 Street where bystanders can watch the telecasts live. The studio was the former home of CNN's "American Morning", before that network relocated to new headquarters in Columbus Circle.

See also

• Media of New York City
• List of New York City sports teams
• New York Jets
• New York Mets

References

1. ^ "Time Warner Cable, Comcast may nix Mets' SNY sale: report". Reuters. 2011-03-19. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/19/us-baseball-mets-madoff-idUSTRE72I2SQ20110319. 
2. ^ "SNY to Become Official Home of Rutgers Athletics". Rutgers University Athletic Dept. 2008-07-23. http://scarletknights.com/football/news/release.asp?prID=6729. 
3. ^ "SNY Scores Big East Football, Basketball Rights". Multichannel News. 2008-07-23. http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6581176.html?nid=4262. 
4. ^ "SNY to become the official TV home of UConn football and men's basketball". SNY. 2010-08-05. http://web.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100804&content_id=13028970&vkey=2. 
5. ^ "SNY.tv: About: Home". SNY. http://web.sny.tv/about/index.jsp. 
6. ^ "SNY.tv: SportsNet New York TV Schedule". SNY. http://web.sny.tv/schedule/programming.jsp. 
7. ^ SNY adds second feed for Connecticut - SportsBusiness Journal. August 29, 2011

External links

• Official Site