AT&T SportsNet on Thursday announced that it is "creating an overflow channel to accommodate scheduling conflicts" between the Pirates and Penguins with "baseball back from its COVID-19 pandemic break and the NHL poised to follow this weekend," according to Adam Bittner of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Previously, scheduling conflicts were "often resolved with Penguins playoff games taking priority on AT&T SportsNet and the Pirates relying on MLB Network to get their games on local television." Now, fans can "move over to what AT&T is calling 'PIT2' to watch the Pirates while the Penguins are playing on the flagship channel." PIT2 will air Pirates games "at least twice in the coming weeks" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/31). In Pittsburgh, Chris Adamski noted the Pirates' Monday and Wednesday games against the Twins "begin at the same time" as the Penguins' playoff games against the Canadiens. AT&T SportsNet is the rights holder for both teams. Both channels will "offer the usual pre- and postgame shows" (TRIBLIVE.com, 7/30).
