SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Fox Sports Net Bay Area and the Oakland Athletics today announced a long-term extension of their current television agreement. The new agreement continues a relationship that began in 1990. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Under terms of the agreement, FSN has acquired the rights to televise up to 90 Athletic games per season beginning with the 2004 season. This season, FSN will once again deliver more Athletics baseball than any other Bay Area television outlet with 75 games (43 home, 32 away). FSN’s Athletics coverage also includes 15 exclusive pregame shows.
“We are pleased to extend our relationship with the Athletics,” said Jeff Krolik, Senior Vice President and General Manager, FSN Bay Area. “Fans have come to rely on FSN for coverage of the Athletics, and we are happy that we will be home to the Athletics for many years to come. Steve Schott, Ken Hofmann, Mike Crowley and their executive team have done an outstanding job in making the Athletics one of the premier franchises in the Bay Area and one of the best-run operations in Major League Baseball. We are proud to extend our relationship with the Athletics and look forward to being partners well into the future.”
“The Oakland Athletics look forward to continuing our long-standing association with Fox Sports Net Bay Area,” said Oakland Athletics President Michael Crowley. “We are both committed to rewarding our fans with the best television coverage of one of Major League Baseball’s most exciting teams.”
FSN begins its 75 game schedule of the 2003 AL West Champion Athletics against Texas Rangers tonight with their home opener. Highlighting FSN’s Athletics telecast schedule are nine match-ups against division rivals Anaheim Angels (April 17, 23, 24; June 21, 23, 29, 30; September 25; and October 1) and seven with the Seattle Mariners (April 10, 11, 21; July 21, 27; and September 28, 29), five contests with the New York Yankees (April 28, 29; May 4, 5; and August 4), and three games against the Baltimore Orioles (August 23, 24, 25).
This year FSN will broadcast its 14th season of Athletics baseball. FSN began airing Athletics baseball on April 10, 1990. The Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 5-3. In its first season of Athletics coverage, the network aired 55 games.
FSN Bay Area reaches more than 3.6 million households in Northern California and Northern Nevada. FSN Bay Area’s programming includes Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants baseball, Golden State Warriors basketball, San Jose Sharks hockey, San Jose Earthquakes soccer, Best Damn Sports Show Period, Beyond the Glory, FSN Across America and NASCAR. FSN Bay Area is managed by Rainbow Sports Networks.
Rainbow Sports Networks is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). Fox Sports Net reaches more than 80 million households nationwide and is a service of National Sports Partners, equally owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC and Fox Entertainment Group. Rainbow Sports Networks incorporates Rainbow’s 50% ownership in Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports National Advertising and the ownership and management of Fox Sports Net regional networks in five of the nation’s largest markets: Chicago, San Francisco, New England, Ohio and Florida.