The sports network that shows Pittsburgh’s MLB and NHL teams is starting a new way for people to watch games without cable. It’s called SNP 360, and it lets fans stream Pirates and Penguins games directly to their devices. It costs $17.99 per month for local fans, but if you have cable, you can still use the app.
This move is happening because more and more people are ditching cable and watching TV online. SNP 360 is a response to that trend. It’s especially important for SportsNet Pittsburgh because they’ve seen changes recently.
Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery stopped being part of the sports network business, which meant a new owner for SportsNet Pittsburgh. Now, the network is owned by the Pirates and Penguins themselves.
Fenway Sports Group, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, bought a big part of the Penguins in 2021. They also own NESN, the network that runs SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Sean McGrail, the CEO of NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh, said they want to make sure fans can watch games no matter how they get their TV. “There are many people now who don’t subscribe to a cable TV package, and we wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to watch our teams and be part of the fan base,” he said.
SNP 360 was put together pretty quickly in the past six months after NESN took over running SportsNet Pittsburgh, according to McGrail. They’re offering the service at a lower price than most other regional sports streaming plans as they work on getting more content beyond just Pirates and Penguins games.
NESN, which shows Red Sox and Bruins games locally, was the first to offer a streaming option for its market back in 2022 with NESN 360. It’s available for $29.99 per month, or $180 for the first year with a current deal. Normally, it costs $329.99 per year.
Last year, the YES Network, known for the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Liberty, started its streaming service for $24.99 per month. MSG Network, which airs games for the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New Jersey Devils, launched a streaming service in 2023 for $29.99 per month.
Regional sports networks used to make a lot of money, but now that fewer people are watching traditional TV, they’re feeling the squeeze. So, they’re trying to get those viewers back by offering streaming options. They have to be careful with pricing to avoid causing more problems with the TV companies they work with.
Those TV contracts are important because they help pay for the rights to show games from professional sports teams, which costs billions of dollars.
Diamond Sports, the company that owns a bunch of regional sports networks, also started streaming services for some of its teams before running into money problems and filing for bankruptcy in 2023. During that process, Diamond ended contracts with some teams to avoid paying high fees for the rights to show games.
“It’s been tough lately,” McGrail said. “But tough times can lead to new chances, and we have to think hard about how we share our content in the future. This new service is for the people who aren’t sticking with regular TV anymore. We’re trying to be flexible and make sure we’re there for those fans.”
