While much of Silicon Valley and the mainstream media seems to have bought into the fiction that there’s been a “massive wave” of cord cutting, those of us in the TV industry’s trenches know better.

As in, somewhere between 3%-5% of all pay TV viewers are going to cut the cord in 2021, leaving somewhere close to 70 million households with MVPD and vMVPD subscriptions by year’s end.

That rate could accelerate in 2022 though, thanks to the impending launch of two unrelated services: Sinclair’s RSN (regional sports network) apps and CNN’s streaming app, CNN Plus.

News and Sports

While the entertainment offerings on streaming today easily surpass the offerings on cable in terms of both quality and quantity, the same cannot be said for news and sports.

While there are a number of streaming news apps along with relatively live feeds from CBS, NBC and ABC News, the major national cable networks still don’t have a presence, save some channels on the FASTs consisting mostly of a series of clips strung together, rather than a live feed from the national news desk.

That seems like it’s about to change though, with the introduction of CNN Plus, the latest streaming app from Discovery Warner. 

The app took a while to get here as AT&T, CNN’s previous owner, had allegedly been trying to unload the news service, and didn't want to take on the burden of a brand new streaming app.

That’s no longer the case though, thanks to the Discovery takeover, and CNN Plus is due to launch soon. The app will contain some form of live news: while it won’t be the same feed that appears on cable, much of the app’s news coverage seems like it will be live and allow for the transition to fully live in the case of an election or other newsworthy event.

The ability to finally get live cable news 24/7 is going to be the push many news-obsessed viewers need to finally give up traditional pay TV and shift to a streaming-only diet. 

More will come too, if and when their local TV news is available on streaming, either from the local broadcast station itself or from one of the many start-ups (and Amazon) that are looking to make headway in that space.

Sports is another area where viewers have held on to pay TV. This is especially true for viewers who are professional baseball, basketball and hockey fans and rely on regional sports networks or RSNs.

These viewers are fans of a specific team rather than a specific sport. Meaning that if they’re Dodgers fans, they want to see Dodgers games and only Dodgers games, not whatever random MLB game ESPN is showing that day.

These are the fans who keep the regional sports networks (RSNs) in business, and until now, the only way to watch an RSN was via an MVPD or vMVPD. 

Enter Sinclair, which recently spent $9.6 billion dollars to buy up the 21 RSNs that had previously belonged to Fox Sports. 

While RSNs have traditionally been valuable properties, they’ve been hitting headwinds of late, as non-sports fans rebelled against the amount the RSNs added to traditional cable packages and the two largest vMVPDs -- Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV -- dropped them from their rosters.

Still, Sinclair is making the bet that there are plenty of MLB, NBA and NHL fans who are holding on to expensive cable packages for the sole purpose of watching their favorite team play. That’s why they’ve brought Ballys, a sports betting company, on board to help reduce subscription costs, and why they’ve just announced their intention to go ahead with a $250 million plan to launch their RSNs as streaming apps.

While initial reports had the monthly costs of the apps at $23, that appears to be erroneous (as per Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley). Still even at $40/month, a monthly subscription is about one-fifth the price of a pair of tickets to a single NBA game, and less than one-half the price of AT&T TV, the only vMVPD that’s still carrying the Sinclair RSNs.

In addition to bringing in cord-cutters in general, the apps will allow the leagues to appeal to younger fans by introducing new features that take advantage of digital delivery (e.g., real time stats and alternate camera angles), something that is very much needed as their fan bases are growing older every year.

Aging viewers are also an issue for the streaming news networks, where the average age is even older -- well over 60, and where a shift to streaming will need to include a shift in tone to appeal to younger viewers. (Pro tip: a move away from a steady diet of pharma commercials would also help.)

A Bigger Ripple

Once cable news and RSNs are firmly established on streaming, we can expect to see a somewhat bigger ripple of viewers moving to cut the cord. Figure 8%-10% a year, versus 3%-5%. 

Those expecting a massive wave should remember that things move slowly in the TV industry, where viewer behaviors are decidedly ingrained. 

That said, change is happening and will continue to happen, but at nowhere near the pace that other industries experienced. For all parties involved, this is one instance where patience will truly be a virtue.

News this past week that Sinclair Broadcast Group and investment banker LionTree are raising $250 million to launch a sports streaming service may not be quite as big a deal as, say, that $43 billion spinoff/merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery. 

But despite the difference in the number of zeroes involved, a Sinclair streaming service could  dramatically reshape the sports streaming leader board, and not incidentally, what’s left of the cable bundle and broadcast TV, too.

It’s an obvious move to turn Sinclair’s suite of 21 regional cable sports networks into a streaming power, even if one that’s not quite national in scope. Likely, it would have happened far sooner, had the pandemic not shut down sports this time last year, and deeply complicated just about everything else having to do with producing and distributing video. 

Sinclair, despite its deep broadcast roots, has been building digital infrastructure and competence for years. Its portfolio includes not just those 186 local broadcast stations, but several digital over-the-air channels, hybrid AVOD/local programming streaming service STIRR, a major investment in ATSC 3.0 tech, and the shared local-news service NewsON, plus a better integrated ad-selling infrastructure. 

Not coincidentally, Sinclair also bought into Bally’s, selling naming rights for its regional sports networks for $85 million and a 15% stake in the gambling company. Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley has been championing sports gambling’s potential since at least 2018, when the company’s most notable sports holding was the Tennis Channel. 

These days, Sinclair’s sports empire is considerably more impressive, including networks carrying 42 teams in the Big Four pro U.S. sports, a college sports network, and part ownership in the Chicago Cubs’ Marquee Network and the New York Yankees YES Network. 

The sports service would only be available in the markets where Sinclair has its networks, but that still includes most of the country’s biggest markets, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Arizona, Detroit, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and Wisconsin.

A streaming service is also the best chance the company has to redeem its nearly $10 billion purchase of the RSNs in 2019. Disney likely would have kept the networks as part of its Fox acquisition, knitting them into ESPN and ESPN Plus, but for once, antitrust divestiture actually worked.

It’s been a dream deferred since that deal closed in 2019, though, thanks to the pandemic, a months-long sports shutdown, and larger viewing trends moving audiences from cable to connected TVs and streaming. With a sports streamer, Sinclair would catch up its biggest investment with where viewers are heading. 

The price of admission would be steep, $23 a month, probably around the all-in price of a future Warner Bros. Discovery bundle—ad-free HBO Max and Discovery Plus, and whatever CNN Plus ends up looking like. 

But for sports fans looking to see every game of their home teams of choice, a streaming service called something like Bally’s Sports Plus could be a bargain. 

It would remove the headaches of subscribing to an RSN on a cable provider, frequently on a more expensive tier, if it’s even available. Los Angeles Dodgers fans in many parts of Southern California, for instance, went five seasons with no access to most of their team’s games because of long-running carriage battles between Charter Communications and many other providers in the region. 

Add in the Bally’s connection, which almost certainly brings betting information and likely in-game betting, and the Sinclair service could be a big deal indeed. That’s especially the case with hockey, basketball and baseball teams, which largely have only regional audiences.  

Upstart sports networks and skinny bundles such as DAZN and Fubo have carved out modest but significant followings built on combat sports and international soccer. Bally’s Sports Plus would bring much more mainstream programming to local fans most likely to watch, and pay for, it. 

In turn, a Sinclair streamer creates potentially big problems for the anemic ESPN Plus, at least as currently constituted. It could even impact the Four-Letter Mothership, saddled as it is with a complicated Disney streaming strategy and a declining cable redoubt. And would family-focused Disney add gambling to ESPN Plus? 

That’s a big enough set of questions. 

But it’s also worth pondering what else cable audiences will have to watch after they lose exclusive access to one of the few remaining sources of tune-in regular programming. What’s left when local pro and college sports head off to join the first-run movies, premium series, live news, and reality shows already on streaming sources?   

The reasons for sticking to legacy providers, which still provide the majority of TV viewing, will dwindle to virtually nothing, likely further accelerating the collapse of the cable bundle. 

Reports suggest Sinclair hopes to launch the service in April, in time for the next Major League Baseball season. By then, we also should have an Amazon Prime bolstered by all those MGM movies and TV shows, and a merged Warner Bros. Discovery up and running, possibly with a better logo. And then, we’ll see for real what’s left of the cable bundle. 

Verizon said Tuesday that it will give a second round of billing credits to Fios TV subscribers for lost game events on regional sports networks due to COVID-19.

“Verizon is fulfilling its promise to Fios TV customers who previously received bill credits for a reduced number of live sporting events due to COVID-19,” Verizon said in a statement. “Following the first round of credits issued in December 2020, Verizon Fios has secured additional refunds from Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) and is passing on those refunds to Fios TV customers who subscribe to those RSNs. Eligible customers will see an ‘RSN Credit’ on their April bill. 

Also read: NY AG Claims State Residents Have Gotten $76M In Sports TV Rebates

Verizon and other top pay TV operators issued rebates back in December for games lost in the early phase of the pandemic. The rebates vary widely and are based in large part on where customers live. The credits typically ranged from $8-$25 last year, depending on the provider and area.

As the pandemic has dragged on, more and more pro and collegiate sports leagues have come back online. But games are still missing. The NBA, for example, is in the second half of a 72-game regular season—a typical NBA campaign is 82 games. 

Verizon currently charges customers a monthly “regional sports network” surcharge of up to $8.89. 

Charter Communications and AT&T have finally reached an agreement on the latter’s carriage of regional sports network SportsNet LA, breaking an impasse that started in 2014.

Spectrum SportsNet LA is the exclusive RSN home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal, terms of which weren’t described, has already brought SportsNet LA to not only DirecTV, the second most distributed pay TV service in Southern California, but also AT&T’s new IP-based pay TV platform, AT&T TV. Legacy IPTV service U-verse will also get the channel, as will AT&T’s marginalized virtual pay TV service, AT&T TV Now, starting April 8.

SportsNet LA was launched at the beginning of the 2014 Major League Baseball season, the result of a 25-year, $8.35 billion deal carved out by the erstwhile Time Warner Cable and the Dodgers organization. Right off the bat, TWC and DirecTV came to loggerheads over carriage of the new channel. Charter’s subsequent purchase of TWC, and AT&T’s acquisition of DirecTV, didn’t change the dynamic … until now. 

With news circulating among Dodgers fans in the L.A. region, many wondered if it was an April Fool’s gag—timed conspicuously to an MLB season with a start  indefinitely delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This Charter press release seems to confirm the authenticity of the news, however. 

“This agreement underscores our commitment to provide all Dodgers fans the opportunity to enjoy our award-winning programming and live game coverage,” said Dan Finnerty, senior VP of Spectrum Networks, in the statement. “Working together with AT&T, we were able to reach an agreement to offer the region’s most popular teams to local fans across AT&T’s video platforms.”

Indeed, for the bulk of a seven-year string of consecutive National League West championships, not to mention two World Series *appearances, the Dodgers have remained unaccessible on television to a large portion of the local fanbase. (Astros fans: You know what the asterisk is for.)

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti added: “Our city has the best sports fans in the world, and they want to enjoy all of the excitement and tradition that Dodger games bring to Los Angeles. I’m very pleased that Spectrum Sports and AT&T have reached this agreement, which will bring Dodger games into the homes of AT&T TV, DirecTV, U-verse TV and AT&T TV Now customers when the season begins and give more Angelenos the chance to cheer for our favorite team all the way to the World Series." 

YES Network said it is no longer on YouTube TV, which might signal a breakdown in talks between Sinclair Broadcast Group, which acquired a group of regional sports networks and one of the largest virtual multichannel video programming distributors.

Last week, YouTube said it would drop the 21 Sinclair RSNs and YES, but at the last minute said they would continue to appear under an extension as negotiations continued.

But Wednesday night, YES issued a statement that YouTube TV was no longer carrying the network, which was acquired from The Walt Disney Co. by a group that included the Yankees, Sinclair and Amazon.

“YouTube TV, for its own selfish reasons and with total disregard for its YES customers, has refused to pay the market rate and accept market terms and conditions that other YES distributors have agreed to," YES said in a statement. "In fact, YouTube TV sought a rate that was well below what other YES distributors are paying, and because YES keeps its word to all of its distributors, it could not make the deal. When YouTube TV realized it could not get a sweetheart, below-market deal, it dropped the YES Network.” 

YES earlier this week announced that some Yankee games would be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Those games would also be broadcast on WPIX-TV in New York.

But it appeared that some of Sinclair’s other RSNs were dark on YouTube TV, but not all of them.

“Sinclair, for its own reasons, elected to make a deal for some but not all of its programming services which excluded large-market RSNs featuring iconic franchises and star players. The New York Yankees have made it clear to Major League Baseball and YouTube TV that the Yankees will not appear on any national games televised by YouTube TV through its national telecast agreement with Major League Baseball,” YES said. “We urge all of our fans to go to YESNetwork.com to see the list of other streaming services and other distributors that carry the YES Network. With YouTube TV no longer carrying YES, it appears as though YouTube TV customers will pay the same while getting less.”

Spokespeople for YouTube and Sinclair did not respond to requests for information.

A day after announcing it would drop Sinclair Broadcast Group’s regional sports networks, YouTube TV said Friday night that it agreed to a temporary extension and that negotiations continue.

On Thursday, YouTube TV tweeted that it had been unable to reach an extension with Sinclair, which bought the Fox Regional Sports Networks from the Walt Disney Co. last year. As a result, “we will no longer offer Fox Regional Sports Networks, including YES Network, beginning Feb. 29,” the tweet said.

But on Friday, a tweet from Team YouTube sang a different tune. 

“Negotiations are still underway! In the meantime, we've agreed to a temporary extension,” YouTube said. “Fox RSNs and YES Network are still available on YT TV while we work to reach an agreement. We’ll send out an update as soon as we have more info on a resolution.”

On Thursday, Sinclair had seemed equally pessimistic about the situation. On the YES website, a message to viewers said “we hope we can reach an agreement with YouTube TV. However, based on the discussions we have had to date, we are not optimistic.”

A Sinclair spokesman could not be reached for comment Friday evening.

YouTube TV said it would be dropping the Fox regional sports networks, which were acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group last year.

The move, which also impacts YES Network, in which Sinclair bought a stake, is effective Feb. 29. Sinclair is also trying to get carriage for Marquee Sports Network, its joint venture with the Chicago Cubs.

In a series of tweets, YouTube TV said that the move reflects the rising cost of sports network. It also noted that other pay-TV outlets have also dropped RSNs. Dish was among the first to drop the RSN and there is no sign that it plans to bring them back. 

Also Read: YouTube TV: Everything You Need to Know About One of the Fastest Growing Virtual Pay TV Services

“To bring you 70+ channels, we have contracts with content owners that are periodically renegotiated. Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Fox Regional Sports Networks and YES Network, is one of the largest owners of local TV stations in the U.S.,” YouTube TV said.

“We purchase rights from Sinclair to distribute content to you. Despite our best efforts, we’ve been unable to reach an agreement with Sinclair. As a result, we will no longer offer Fox Regional Sports Networks, including YES Network, beginning February 29th,” YouTube TV said. 

“We do not take this decision lightly. This is a reflection of the rising cost of sports content. You may have noticed several other TV services have also decided to remove Fox Regional Sports Networks from their lineups,”  it said. “Thank you for your membership as we strive to build the best possible streaming experience for you. You will receive an email today if you’re impacted by this change.”

On the YES Network website, the RSN said “we hope that we can reach an agreement with YouTube TV. However, based on the discussions we have had to date, we are not optimistic.”

YES Network told subscribers there were other pay-TV services they could switch to in order to keep getting the network.

“There are other streaming services that offer the YES Network, including Yankees and Nets games, and these services are easy to sign up for, in a matter of minutes,” YES said.

Starkville, Miss.-based operator MaxxSouth Broadband has launched a regional sports network built around athletics in local high schools, colleges and community sports leagues.

MaxxSouth Sports will cover events in the northern and central parts of the state, the company said. The operator serves 44,600 cable customers.

The channel already has an aggressive lineup that will include full coverage of at least eight games per week, MaxxSouth Broadband said. Its production units will deliver full, high-definition picture quality and live transmission, an ambitious move for a local cable provider.

"This sports network would not be possible without the help of the area's school districts, coaches and athletic directors," said Peter Kahelin, MaxxSouth Broadband's president and CEO. "It's an incredible accomplishment to be able to showcase student athletes from across MaxxSouth's service territory."

The company also announced it has deployed advanced fiber-to-the-home 1 Gig Internet service in Starkville, increasing bandwidth and capacity for advanced video, Internet and phone services. The new fiber-to-the-home network is expected to come online within the next few weeks, MaxxSouth said.

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"Our fiber-optic infrastructure in Starkville is also what we call 'future proof,'" Rick Ferrall, regional general manager for MaxxSouth Broadband, said. "Upgrades and improvements can be implemented on the system without changing the actual fiber wires."

Starkville marks the second city where MaxxSouth now operates a fiber-optic network after launching one in Carthage last year.

MaxxSouth Broadband, which serves 60 Mississippi communities, was formed last November from the group of cable systems formerly serviced by MetroCast Mississippi.

SportSouth will pay tribute to the “Human Highlight Film” during its Friday night telecast of the Atlanta Hawks-Cleveland Cavaliers contest.

As part of ‘Nique Week,’ the Hawks tribute to franchise icon Dominique Wilkins, SportSouth will cover the Hall of Famer’s halftime speech to the crowd at Philips Arena.

Wilkins, now a SportSouth analyst, was known for his amazing levitation and rim-rattling dunks. The team – through 56 telecasts, the first-place Hawks have scored a 120% rise to a 2.2 household rating in the Atlanta DMA on SportSouth -- has unveiled a 13.5-foot statue depicting Wilkins in windmill wind-up mode, outside Philips Arena.  

Those lucky enough to check out the Easter Conference-leading Hawks against LeBron James and company in person will see a state-of-the-art 3D projection tribute to Wilkins prior to tipoff, while the first 21,000 attendees will receive a commemorative, Dominique jersey-inspired, No. 21 T-shirt, courtesy of Novo Nordisk. The Hawks are replacing traditional game programs with 21,000 individually-numbered Wilkins-themed magazines. Additionally, Levy, the food and beverage vendor at Philips Arena, is offering specially-designed cups for drinks purchased at concession stands on game day.

“Dominique is one of the greatest athletes in the history of Atlanta sports and it’s only fitting that Friday night be as memorable for him as he has been for the Hawks franchise and this city,” said former Turner Broadcasting System executive and current Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena CEO Steve Koonin said. “Every facet of our game will pay homage to the legacy he’s created on and off the court.” 

Throughout the game, career highlights and special acknowledgement videos from fans and current players will be aired in the arena. During a halftime ceremony, Wilkins will be presented with a special gift from the 2014-15 Hawks team, and will also receive a one-of-a-kind piece of art before addressing the Philips Arena crowd. Fans are also encouraged to visit Hawkville in Philips Experience and leave a personal message for the legend inside the Dominique Wilkins photo gallery.

The week-long toast to the Hawks’ all-time leader in points and games played included the unveiling of the aforementioned statue and a private luncheon for invited guests. Highlights from the private ceremony honoring Wilkins premiered during a special hour-long presentation, Celebrating Nique at 8 p.m. on March 5 on SportSouth. The program re-aired last night at 11 p.m. and will encore again on Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

“Dominique’s greatness on and off the court as a Hawks player and now a broadcaster is unmatched,” said Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager, Fox Sports South. “Celebrating Nique will put a well-deserved spotlight on the most iconic player to ever wear the Hawks uniform.”

The battle of the NBA's top two teams went to Atlanta, and the ratings records to SportSouth.

The regional sports network that is home to the club, which topped Golden State 124-116, averaged a 6.8 household rating in the Atlanta DMA on Feb, 6, according to Nielsen data. That made it the highest-rated Hawks' telecast ever -- regular- or postseason on the service.

Previously, the highest-rated Hawks telecast was the 4.8 mark that came on May 1, 2014 during the first round of 2014 Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. The top regular-season telecast, a 4.7 rating, was logged last week when the New Orleans Pelicans ended Atlanta's franchise-best 19-game winning skein.

Through 48 games, Hawks television ratings in the Atlanta DMA are up 82% YTD (2.0 vs. 1.1) on SportSouth.

“Coming off of a 19-game winning streak, seven straight sellouts at Philips Arena and ratings on SportSouth that have never been seen before, this Hawks team is proving that it is a championship contender,” said Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager, FOX Sports South. “The city of Atlanta is showing that it truly is a basketball town, and Hawks fans should be excited to witness more great moments in the second half of the season.”

The Atlanta Hawks return to SportSouth tonight, Monday, Feb. 9 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Full coverage of the game begins at 7:30 p.m. ET with Hawks LIVE!.

 Altitude Sports & Entertainment veteran Ben Boylan has been elevated to president of the regional sports network. 

Boylan, who has been with the RSN home to the NBA Denver Nuggets and NHL Colorado Avalanche since its launch a decade ago,  will oversee television operations, including production, programming, creative services, marketing, and distribution efforts. Additionally, Boylan will also oversee all Nuggets and Avalanche radio operations.

At the RSN, he succeeds Kim Carver, who last month announced that she would be departing KSE Media Ventures, where she served as president and CEO of Altitude and president of World Fishing Network. 

Boylan has been with Altitude Sports since its bow in 2004. Over the past two years, he has served as  senior vice president of media sales, focusing on sponsorship sales for the Nuggets and  Avalanche, for the Denver-based RSN that counts some 3.1 million homes in 10 states. Boylan started with Altitude as the network's local sales manager in 2004 and was promoted to general sales manager in 2005.

Boylan began his career at KOA Radio in 1986 in promotions, followed by talk show producer, before moving on to advertising sales. Boylan transitioned to Prime Sports Net as an account executive in 1991, which later became Fox Sports Network. He was promoted to local sales manager and national sales manager during his 13 years with Fox.

 “We’re excited to have someone who has seen the progression of our business from the beginning elevate to the position of president, KSE Media Ventures president and CEO Matt Hutchings. “With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Ben is uniquely positioned to take us to the next level.”

Noted Boylan: “I am humbled by this opportunity.  It’s an honor to lead this incredible group and I look forward to building upon the solid foundation of our team programming as well as the Altitude brand.”

In the wake of Carver’s departure, Jim Liberatore was named president and CEO of World Fishing Network. Liberatore remains CEO of Outdoor Channel, the outdoor lifestyle network owned by KSE Media Ventures, a unit of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the Denver-based sports conglomerate owned by billionaire Stan Kroenke. KSE owns half of the dedicated angling lifestyle service.

http://www.multichannel.com/news/people/liberatore-named-world-fishing-net-ceo/385836

Still disconnected from Dish Network in a carriage dispute and with the Boston Celtics set to open their 2014-15 NBA season on Wednesday night, Comcast SportsNet New England has launched a radio campaign aimed at turning up fan heat on the DBS provider.

CSN New England, the regional sports network home to the Celtics, said it has secured radio schedules within the Boston DMA and throughout its six-state TV territory that urge listeners that reach out to Dish and demand that the provider restore the service, or switch to providers that carry the channel. Boston opens its season at home against Brooklyn on Oct. 29.

The RSN has been dark to Dish Network subscribers since Aug. 6. The carriage contract between the RSN and the No. 2 DBS provider expired on June 30, but there were a series of subsequent extensions.

The RSN counts some 4 million subs throughout New England, mainly via Comcast and DirecTV, which are battling in bankruptcy court over the fate of another sports network, CSN Houston.

Noting that all other providers are carrying the RSN, CSN New England officials said negotiations with Dish continue, and it hopes that the No. 2 satellite provider will agree to terms. Dish is also out of contract with a number of Turner Broadcasting System-owned services.

“We are disappointed that Dish has dropped Comcast SportsNet New England and continue negotiations in hopes that they will provide the region’s passionate fans with access to Comcast SportsNet's exclusive Patriots coverage and live Celtics games in advance of the NBA's regular season,” said the RSN in a statement. “We encourage Dish customers to contact Dish directly by calling 1-800-823-4929, or switch to another provider.”  

On Tuesday, Dish officials offered no additional comment, but reissued the statement it released in August: "Comcast Sportsnet New England wants to put a double-digit rate increase on the backs of consumers for a channel that has seen viewership drop over 40 percent since 2011. Dish is committed to providing high-quality sports programming at an appropriate value. We urge Comcast Sportsnet New England to work with Dish to strike that balance."

The radio spot, which is airing on Boston’s WEEI, WZLX and The Sports Hub, and in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, shoots with hoops parlance in an attempt to press Dish.

The copy, pointing out that team is back on the RSN, says in part that “if you’re a Dish subscriber, they’ve boxed you out. That means no [point guard Rajon] Rondo, no Celtics. Dish has dropped CSN New England. To get it back, call 1-800-823-4929 and demand Dish restore your Celtics coverage.”

The message then moves toward a switch assist, noting that DirecTV, Charter, Cox, Verizon FiOS, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and other local provider all carry Comcast SportsNet.

Officials at YES Network said the channel widened its lead as the most-watched regional sports network in primetime and total-day during the third quarter.

The RSN, the cable home to the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, averaged 73,000 households in the New York DMA during the third quarter, according to Nielsen data, a 26% jump from the 58,000 in the second quarter of 2014.  

As such, YES expanded its primetime delivery edge by 33% over the second-ranked RSN, FS Detroit, in the third quarter, versus a 23% advantage over NESN in the second quarter.

That primetime performance also gave YES an 87% lead over the 39,000 average for the next most-watched New York-based RSN, SNY, in the quarter. YES’s 73,000 average household mark nipped the combined 72,000 for SNY’s and MSG in the period.

Relative to total day, YES averaged 28,000 households in the New York market, up 17% from its second-quarter average of 24,000 in the second quarter. Those tallies pushed YES ahead of FS Detroit by 47% in the most recently completed quarter, up from 41% in the second quarter, when NESN placed second with this measure.

In New York, YES’ total-day delivery outpaced SNY and MSG’s 25,000 combined average through the third quarter.

YES’s prime product, New York Yankees game telecasts, averaged 223,000 households in the New York DMA during the 2014 season -- the last campaign for future Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter (pictured) --  a 15% year-over-year increase from the 194,000 for Bronx Bombers’ games in the 2013 campaign.

On the demo watch, 2014 Yankees’ telecasts registered a 28% advance among men 25 to 54; 20% against guys 18+ and adults 25 to 54; and 18% versus persons 2+ and those 18 and older.