The Fenway Sports Group is poised to make another purchase that has ties to the Penguins. Regional sports networks (RSN) are dropping one by one and AT&T Sports looks to be the latest. Fenway Sports Group will be taking over the channel from Warner Brothers

Fenway Sports Group will take over AT&T SportNet Pittsburgh from Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.

The Astros and Rockets are close to a deal to take over AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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WBD Sports already has agreed to a deal to allow Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Pittsburgh Penguins, to take over AT&T SportNet Pittsburgh. Specific financial details about the deal are not known, but it is expected to close within the next several weeks.

Fenway Sports Group has a lot of experience in the RSN business, as it co-owns one of the country’s most successful regional sports networks in NESN. The deal to take over the RSN ensures that the Penguins will remain on linear television in the Pittsburgh market.

It’s likely that Fenway Sports will launch a direct-to-consumer service around the Penguins, especially considering that NESN launched one around the Red Sox last year. But nobody is prepared to offer specifics about how a Fenway Sports-owned RSN will look in Pittsburgh.

In Pittsburgh, the Pirates still are considering cutting a deal with Fenway Sports Group to remain on a Pittsburgh-based RSN with the Penguins. Sources say the team is more likely to send its rights to MLB, but that decision still hasn’t been made.

This will keep the Penguins on normal TV, but also opens up the potential for a subscription service specifically for the Penguins. This has potential to help cord cutters who don't want to be tied to a cable service. Although, it likely won't come in at a pricepoint like some of the other streaming apps out there (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max etc...) The NESN 360 app has a cost of $30 per month which gives the users both Red Sox and Bruins games. The yearly price is $329.99. It is likely the potential Penguins/Pirates app would be at a similar price point.

With the season on the horizon I imagine we will get more specific details about this acquisition and what it means for the local Pittsburgh market.

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