FiOS Connects With SNY For Mets Games On Demand

Verizon FiOS TV cracked its second sports on-demand home run in as many weeks, reaching a deal Tuesday with New York area regional sports network SNY to offer New York Mets baseball games and other channel fare sports  on a video-on-demand basis.

Verizon will also look to offer SNY's HD feed -- sans Mets games -- nationally, similar to an agreement it reached last week with YES, according to SNY officials.

SNY will offer its New York City subscribers free on demand access to more than 120 Mets regular-season baseball telecasts for three days after the games are played, as well a classic Mets games. In addition FiOS TV subscribers will have access to Big East programming, including the Big East "Game-of-the-Week," for both football and basketball.

On the original programming front, SNY will make available on demand such shows as Beer Money, a New York sports trivia show, and Street Games, which celebrates distinct New York athletic games including stickball, handball and roller hockey.

"Our agreement with SNY gives Mets fans a front-row seat to Verizon's amazing picture-and-sound quality, giving customers a game experience that is the next best thing to sitting in Citi Field," said Terry Denson, vice president - FiOS TV content and programming, in a statement.  "With our industry-leading VOD library, subscribers have the luxury of catching up on any missed or classic games with the convenience of watching them whenever subscribers want."

Marie DeParis, SNY's vice president of marketing and business development, said, "We appreciate Verizon's partnership and all they are doing to maximize SNY's critically acclaimed content by ensuring not only great picture quality, but also making the content readily available on an on-demand basis to all FiOS TV subscribers in the New York area."

The SNY on-demand deal follows YES's FiOS pact announced two weeks ago that offers New York Yankees games and other programming on demand within the RSN's territory.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.