Regional Coverage: FS Tennessee, FS Carolinas Launch

Fox Sports last weekend "officially rolled out" its Fox Sports Tennessee and Fox Sports Carolinas RSNs, reducing FSN South viewership from 12.4 million subscribers to 6.6 million, while FS Tennessee and FS Carolinas will boast 1.8 million and 4 million subscribers, respectively, according to Mike Reynolds of MULTICHANNEL NEWS. FS Tennessee is anchored by 55 Predators games and 52 Grizzlies games, with 18 additional Grizzlies games being offered on sister net SportSouth. FS Tennessee also will air "local collegiate programming, notably SEC men's and women's basketball, baseball, Olympic sports and coaches' shows." Meanwhile, FS Carolinas will air 65 Hurricanes games and 39 Bobcats games, while another 31 Bobcats games will air on SportSouth. Reynolds noted FSN South "had been the largest regional sports network in the nation," but has relinquished that title to YES Network (around 11.5 millions subs). Fox Sports, which previously has "re-branded sub regionals" like FSN K.C. and FSN Houston from larger services, now owns or operates 19 RSNs (MULTICHANNEL.com, 11/1).

BUCKING THE TREND: In Milwaukee, Don Walker reported FSN Wisconsin has a new on-screen scoreboard for Bucks telecasts this season, but the score is "very hard to see, even with a good television." FSN Wisconsin Communications Manager Becky Ross said that FSN "had implemented a new on-screen look for all of its NBA broadcasts around the country," and that the change was made "in order to better 'integrate some sponsorship opportunities.'" Ross said that the size of the scoreboard is "not likely to change" (JSONLINE.com, 11/4).