The Pirates will have an "hour of pregame and postgame, plus weekly magazine shows," with the RSN that would not have been available with MLBGetty Images
The Pirates have entered into an agreement to jointly own SportsNet Pittsburgh with the Penguins beginning Jan. 1. Daily operations of the RSN will continue to be managed by NESN (Pirates). In Pittsburgh, Jason Mackey cites sources as saying that as part of the agreement, the Pirates have a multiyear deal to keep their games on the RSN. The club gets to “maintain consistency with fans," while SportsNet Pittsburgh “adds 180 or so days of programming, with strong viewership numbers that could soon get even stronger.” The on-air talent is “expected to remain the same” with play-by-play men Greg Brown and Joe Block, as well as a group of analysts that includes Bob Walk, John Wehner, Neil Walker, Matt Capps and Kevin Young. The Padres and D-backs are among the clubs that have “relinquished their rights” to MLB, and the Pirates “had a similar offer” from the league. However, the team saw the RSN "as a more desirable choice.” The Pirates will have an "hour of pregame and postgame, plus weekly magazine shows,” with the RSN that would not have been available with MLB. Meanwhile, NESN's continue to manage daily operations of SportsNet Pittsburgh creates a "unique arrangement of owners and dollars being shared.” Fenway Sports Group owning both NESN and Red Sox means “one financial driver of Bob Nutting’s team exists on the network of a fellow MLB owner” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/13).
