CSN Houston To Offer "Free View" For Cable, Telco And Satellite Carriers

CSN Houston is offering a “free view” opportunity to cable, telco and satellite carriers, according to David Barron of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Rockets attorney Alan Gover said that the partners had "agreed to provide the channel free of charge to non-subscribing carriers for 45 days," which Barron noted will "provide access to 22 Rockets games." The audience for Wednesday's Bobcats-Rockets game was the "largest in the network’s history," surpassing a 2.2 local rating for Game 6 of last season’s Thunder-Rockets First Round and a "regular-season high" of 2.2 for a March 6 game against the Mavericks. Rockets games last year averaged 1.2 local rating on CSN Houston, but their win over the Bobcats produced a 2.5 rating. It was "not immediately clear if the newest free view offer would have to be accepted by carriers for the entire five-state area or for the Greater Houston area" (CHRON.com, 10/31).