Dish Launches Regional Sports Networks in HD
EchoStar Adds Altitude Sports, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet West, FSN Ohio
By Jon Hemingway -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/26/2007 9:49:00 PM
EchoStar Communications’ Dish Network launched four regional sports networks in high-definition.
The additions -- all of which will provide game-only HD content -- were Altitude Sports and Entertainment, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet West and FSN Ohio.
The four RSNs carry live games and related programming. Altitude televises games of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Comcast SportsNet West carries Sacramento Kings basketball. FSN Ohio covers Cleveland Cavaliers NBA and Columbus Blue Jackets NHL games. And Comcast Mid-Atlantic provides coverage of Washington, D.C.-area teams.
The launch is part of an ongoing effort by Dish to beef up its HD offerings, currently tallied at 74 channels with 39 national channels. It now carries 22 RSNs in HD, launching eight others in July, including six FSN channels.
Earlier Wednesday, satellite competitor DirecTV unveiled 21 new HD channels as part of roll-out this fall that will bring its total offerings to 100 channels by year’s end.
