The demise of some regional sports networks has caused panic in cities affected — like Pittsburgh — where 93.7 The Fan afternoon host Andrew Fillipponi questioned a recent report that had a potential landing spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins.
A report from The Athletic insinuated that Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams could see their games aired on NESN. The New England cable outlet is majority-owned by the Fenway Sports Group, which recently completed its purchase of the Penguins.
“That would make no sense whatsoever. The Pirates would be on the Red Sox channel? That’s what this article says, but I can’t envision that,” Fillipponi said. “It’s already — it seems — a losing proposition for these regional sports networks to pay these big rights fees to produce and broadcast these games, so out of the goodness of their heart NESN is just gonna take on the Pirates?”
When asked if there was a potential handshake deal between Major League Baseball and the Fenway Sports Group to be a life raft for the Pirates, Fillpponi argued it wouldn’t be logical.
“I don’t see anything in this article to suggest that,” Fillpponi said. “How would Major League Baseball make it worth the Red Sox’s while? ‘Hey, do something altruistic for the Pirates’?”
Fillpponi then joked that Dennis Eckersley — who went viral in the city of Pittsburgh for calling the Pirates “a hodgepodge of nothingness” — could work as the team’s game analyst on NESN.
He continued by mentioning that there are so many theories and possibilities that it’s difficult to discern what is realistic.
“I don’t know what to believe. Even though its the commissioner of the NHL, I don’t see how he could have assurances that the Penguins are gonna continue to get aired by AT&T SportsNet.”
