Two major New York sports broadcast services, Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network (the regional sports channel aligned with the iconic Major League Baseball team), and MSG Network (MSGN) (the television network owned by entertainment and sports venue Madison Square Garden), have announced the launch of a joint-venture app.
The Gotham Sports App will combine the direct-to-consumer rights of seven different sports franchises in the region on one platform.
It will feature Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, and the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and New Jersey Devils franchises.
MSGN and YES’ joint-venture body, Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment (GAME) will launch the app later in 2024 at a base monthly price of $41.99, an increase on the $24.99 YES app and the $29.99 MSG+ service, but a saving on the combined offering.
The two steaming services operate across the New York State, Connecticut, northeastern Pennsylvania, and north and central New Jersey areas.
Speaking on the launch of the Gotham Sports App, MSGN chief executive Andrea Greenberg stated: “With the increased fragmentation of outlets carrying fan favorite sports programming, The Gotham Sports App allows fans of our teams one easy access point for New York area sporting events from MSG Networks and the YES Network."
Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) have traditionally tailored their offerings to cable or satellite providers in the US. However, with fans increasingly dropping cable television subscriptions in favor of streaming, RSNs are looking to launch DTC platforms.
YES and MSGN customers who have purchased the respective services through a pay-V subscriber will also receive Gotham Sports at no extra cost.
Jonn Litner, chief executive of YES Network, added on this: “The app, which will be free to our distributors' authenticated customers, will provide one convenient digital destination for our programming services and for fans of some of the most iconic teams in all of sports.
“The new Gotham Sports App will deploy GAME's best-in-class technology to deliver a greatly enhanced fan experience, showcasing the best in New York sports all in one place.”
GAME was founded as a 50/50 joint venture in January 2024 as a vehicle for YES and MSGN to streamline direct to consumer operations, synergize technological advancements, and offer operational support to streaming platforms.
It aims to provide content owners with technology and operational support to launch direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming platforms, as well as data analytics.
The 2024-25 National Hockey League season will begin on October 8, and the National Basketball Association will tip off on October 22, while the Major League Baseball season is already underway and entering the home stretch of its regular season.
