The Houston Astros and Houston Rockets are looking to take ownership of their local broadcast rights as their regional sports network prepares to go away.
Warner Bros. Discovery is getting out of the RSN business and told teams that have local TV rights with the company’s AT&T Sportsnet RSNs that they have until the end of March to take back the rights.
According to Sports Business Journal, the Astros and Rockets have a particular interest in taking control because of the remaining carriage deals in place with TV providers Comcast, DirecTV and U-Verse. Those contracts are believed to have 10 years or so left on them.
The decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to liquidate its RSNs comes as the Astros prepare to begin a new season. MLB has established a local media department that would work with teams to make sure regular season games get aired in the event a deal with an RSN goes south.
