AT&T Could Be Nearing End Of Auction For Four RSNs

AT&T Senior Exec VP & CFO John Stephens indicated that an auction to sell four of its RSNs to reduce overall debt is "nearing a possible buyer and conclusion," according to Etan Vlessing of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Stephens did not name any potential bidders for the four RSNs -- AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, AT&T SportsNet Southwest and Root Sports Northwest. He brought up the future of the channels as he "detailed efforts to sell non-core assets, including corporate properties, to reduce the phone giant's total debt burden after acquiring Time Warner Inc. and investing for WarnerMedia to launch" the streaming service HBO Max in May (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/10). The N.Y. Post last month reported AT&T received bids for the RSNs around $500M, short of the expected $1B range (THE DAILY).