The Houston Astros and Houston Rockets have confirmed the acquisition of AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery. Following the purchase, the regional sports network will be rebranded as Space City Home Network (SCHN).
For some time now, it had been clear that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to either close down or sell its AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks. At the end of August, it was confirmed that the Pittsburgh Penguins had entered into an agreement to acquire AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Now, it has been confirmed that the Houston Astros and Houston Rockets are acquiring AT&T SportsNet Southwest. The network will be jointly-owned by the Rockets and Astros, and will re-launch as Space City Home Network on October 3, 2023.
“We appreciate the collaboration from the Astros and Rockets as we reach an agreement that is in the best interest of all parties, including the fans we all serve,” said Patrick Crumb, President, Regional Sports Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.
Nothing is expected to majorly change from the viewer perspective following the purchase, with the new Space City Home Network continuing to broadcast Rockets and Astros games to local fans. Speaking of which, the first live game to be broadcast under the new network name will be the Rockets preseason opener versus Indiana Pacers on October 10.
There have been quite a few RSN changes recently. Just this week, for example, Utah Jazz launched its new Jazz+ streaming service and Vegas Golden Knights launched its KnightTime+ streaming platform. Both of which will now provide fans with access to the team’s games in local markets.
