MSG Plus
Encyclopedia
MSG Plus is a regional sports network
in the New York City metropolitan area
, whose reach expands to cover the entire state of New York
, Northern New Jersey
, Southwestern Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania
. The network was rebranded on March 10, 2008.
Like its sister network, MSG
, it is operated by Madison Square Garden, Inc.
(which was spun off from Cablevision in 2009) under the banner of MSG Media. It was formerly known as FSN New York and Fox Sports Net New York as an affiliate of Fox Sports Net
, and SportsChannel New York prior to that.
MSG+ is home of the NHL
's New Jersey Devils
and New York Islanders
, and MLL
's Long Island Lizards
.
MSG+ also serves an overflow purpose when multiple local teams that would be shown on MSG play at the same time, much like MSG does for MSG+. MSG's teams which may also appear as MSG+ telecast are the NHL's New York Rangers
and MLS
's New York Red Bulls. In most of upstate New York
, MSG+ carries a large portion of Buffalo Sabres
games.
MSG is also the television home of the NBA
's New York Knicks
, WNBA
's New York Liberty
, and the Sabres. Although MSG has nine broadcasting zones, MSG+ has only eight. The one remaining zone is the Northwest Region
of Pennsylvania, where MSG+ is not available, and all Buffalo Sabres games play on the main MSG channel. (Knicks games and other hockey games not involving the Sabres are blacked out in this region.) Until recently, Western New York
also did not receive MSG+, and any conflict with the Sabres and Knicks (again, other hockey games are blacked out in this zone) was resolved by placing the Knicks on an overflow channel such as Time Warner Cable SportsNet.
network. In addition to the teams currently shown on MSG+, New York Yankees
(MLB
), New York Mets
(MLB), and New Jersey Nets
(NBA) games were shown on the network. In 1998, two years after Fox Sports Net
launched in other markets, Cablevision partnered with News Corporation
and Liberty Media to rebrand the network as Fox Sports New York (FSNY), with MSG also becoming a part of FSN. Eventually they would rebrand their other SportsChannel networks as well. Aside from MSG and MSG+, Cablevision eventually sold its stake of FSN networks other than FSN New York to News Corporation and Comcast
.
The Yankees telecasts moved to the MSG Network in the 1989 MLB Season
(Cablevision did not own the MSG Network at that time).
The last event on SportsChannel New York was the NBA
basketball game between the New Jersey Nets
and Denver Nuggets
from Denver, Colorado
on January 27, 1998.
and the Los Angeles Lakers
in Inglewood, California
. The last event on FSN New York was a college basketball game between the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers and the Robert Morris
Colonials from Moon Township, Pennsylvania
on March 9, 2008. Veteran graphics coordinator Dave Katz was in the production truck for both of these events.
Through the 2005 MLB Season
, the Mets games were shown on FSN New York. Some games were moved to MSG in 2002 as a result of the Yankees and Nets launching their own network (YES Network
). In 2006, the Mets started SportsNet New York
to carry their games.
vs. Pete Sampras
exhibition tennis match at Madison Square Garden
(the game was also available nationally on The Tennis Channel
).
On cable systems, these networks air mostly on the TV Guide Channel
as the "over-the-air" telecast. On satellite systems, these networks will air on alternate channels assigned by the satellite television provider. When MSG2 and MSG+ 2 air both at the same time, one of them will air on the alternate channel, mostly, for cable, on C-SPAN2
.
From the 1998-1999 NBA and NHL seasons to the 2004-2005 seasons, instead of these alternate channels, Cablevision placed games on their MSG Metro Channels
, which were available in a limited number of homes, causing certain customers to miss the games. In high cases of overflow, partially caused by the New Jersey Nets
being broadcast on the now-rebranded FSN New York at the same time, games were also placed on WLNY
. During this era, when two of the teams that the MSG Networks covered played against each other, only one broadcast would usually be produced using one of the team's announcing teams. This was either due to MSG's TV contracts or a desire to show a different sporting event at the same time. Beginning in the 2005-2006 NBA and NHL seasons, when Metro was discontinued and Nets telecasts moved to YES
, FSN New York (now MSG+) and MSG resumed airing FSN New York 2 (now MSG+ 2) and MSG2 and produce two broadcasts when two of their teams are playing against each other.
On January 22, 2009, MSG HD and MSG+ HD hockey broadcasts were absent from NHL's GameCenter Live because of a contract dispute between MSG and the NHL, but on March 17, 2010 beginning with the game between the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins, MSG HD and MSG+ HD returned to NHL Center Ice as confirmed by Gary Bettman during the NHL Hour broadcast.
programming, like FSN Final Score
and The Best Damn Sports Show Period
, and The Dan Patrick Show
, similar to Comcast SportsNet
affiliates where there is no local FSN.
games as part of the AFL on FSN package.
(MSG carries weekly college football or basketball reports for Rutgers University and St. John's University). However, games involving teams in the Tri-State New York Area are generally blacked out outside this area. Time Warner Cable
, among others, often acquires rights to the local games in order to put them on its own channels in certain markets. Nationally broadcast FSN games will air in all MSG+ zones, unless a local team is playing at the same time. In such a case, the college game will be shown as joined-in-progress basis, on MSG if there is no other live game scheduled, or not at all.
The same goes for MSG, that either the New York Islanders or New Jersey Devils, teams that mainly air on MSG+, air on MSG when these teams play at the same time and when no other local teams that mainly air on MSG are playing at that time.
Since the start of 2006-2007 NBA and NHL seasons, there are strategy changes. Some Rangers telecasts air on MSG+ even when there is a conflict with Islanders and/or Devils, resulting these telecasts to be moved to MSG2 and/or MSG+ 2. Also, when the Knicks are out of the playoff contention and the Rangers are in the playoff contention or vice versa, the Rangers telecast usually air on MSG and the Knicks telecast on MSG2, or vice versa.
area was formerly the only market on Time Warner Cable
of Albany
(within New York) that did not carry the now-rebranded FSN New York. The Hoosick area was also formerly provided by Adelphia's system in Bennington, Vermont (now part of Comcast
). It formerly carried FSN New England (now CSN New England), but because of FSN's rule, it was replaced by FSN New York.
Regional sports network
In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
in the New York City metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
, whose reach expands to cover the entire state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Northern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Southwestern Connecticut, and Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
. The network was rebranded on March 10, 2008.
Like its sister network, MSG
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
, it is operated by Madison Square Garden, Inc.
Madison Square Garden, Inc.
Madison Square Garden, Inc. , is an American entertainment promotion company, headquartered in New York, New York. The company spun off from Cablevision on February 9, 2010.-Divisions:...
(which was spun off from Cablevision in 2009) under the banner of MSG Media. It was formerly known as FSN New York and Fox Sports Net New York as an affiliate of Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
, and SportsChannel New York prior to that.
MSG+ is home of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and MLL
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
's Long Island Lizards
Long Island Lizards
The Long Island Lizards are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Hempstead, New York, USA, located on Long Island. They are original members of the MLL and lost in the league's inaugural game on June 7, 2001 to the Baltimore Bayhawks , 16-13...
.
MSG+ also serves an overflow purpose when multiple local teams that would be shown on MSG play at the same time, much like MSG does for MSG+. MSG's teams which may also appear as MSG+ telecast are the NHL's New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
's New York Red Bulls. In most of upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, MSG+ carries a large portion of Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
games.
MSG is also the television home of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
's New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, and the Sabres. Although MSG has nine broadcasting zones, MSG+ has only eight. The one remaining zone is the Northwest Region
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
of Pennsylvania, where MSG+ is not available, and all Buffalo Sabres games play on the main MSG channel. (Knicks games and other hockey games not involving the Sabres are blacked out in this region.) Until recently, Western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
also did not receive MSG+, and any conflict with the Sabres and Knicks (again, other hockey games are blacked out in this zone) was resolved by placing the Knicks on an overflow channel such as Time Warner Cable SportsNet.
SportsChannel New York
MSG+ was originally launched by Cablevision as Cablevision Sports 3 in 1976. It would later be renamed SportsChannel New York in the early 1980's. It was the first SportsChannel AmericaSportsChannel America
SportsChannel America was a cable television network operated by Cablevision. It was the country's first regional sports network, and thus an important ancestor to many of the United States' regional sports outlets, especially Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. SportsChannel New York was the...
network. In addition to the teams currently shown on MSG+, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
), New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(MLB), and New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(NBA) games were shown on the network. In 1998, two years after Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
launched in other markets, Cablevision partnered with News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
and Liberty Media to rebrand the network as Fox Sports New York (FSNY), with MSG also becoming a part of FSN. Eventually they would rebrand their other SportsChannel networks as well. Aside from MSG and MSG+, Cablevision eventually sold its stake of FSN networks other than FSN New York to News Corporation and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
.
The Yankees telecasts moved to the MSG Network in the 1989 MLB Season
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
(Cablevision did not own the MSG Network at that time).
The last event on SportsChannel New York was the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
basketball game between the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
from Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
on January 27, 1998.
FSN New York
The first event on Fox Sports New York was the NBA basketball game on the following night between the New Jersey NetsNew Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
. The last event on FSN New York was a college basketball game between the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers and the Robert Morris
Robert Morris University
Robert Morris University is a private, coeducational university in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1921, the school was named for Robert Morris, who signed the Declaration of Independence, and helped finance the ensuing war with the British.-History:Robert Morris...
Colonials from Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
on March 9, 2008. Veteran graphics coordinator Dave Katz was in the production truck for both of these events.
Through the 2005 MLB Season
2005 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....
, the Mets games were shown on FSN New York. Some games were moved to MSG in 2002 as a result of the Yankees and Nets launching their own network (YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
). In 2006, the Mets started SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York is a New York City-based regional sports cable network which airs in the New York metro area and all of New York state, and nationwide via satellite. It is owned jointly by the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable, and NBCUniversal...
to carry their games.
MSG+
At 7:00 PM EST on March 10, 2008, FSN New York became MSG+. The first event on the rebranded network was the Roger FedererRoger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
vs. Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
exhibition tennis match at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
(the game was also available nationally on The Tennis Channel
The Tennis Channel
Tennis Channel is an American speciality channel with programming devoted to the game of tennis. Founded in 2003, the network is owned by a group of investors including sports marketing firm IMG. Well known tennis professionals Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi are two of the many investors in this...
).
MSG2 and MSG+ 2
Like MSG's MSG2, MSG+ also has MSG+ 2. These networks air only when three or four local games air on MSG and MSG+ combined and at the same time. The Knicks or the Rangers game airs on MSG2 and the Islanders or the Devils on MSG+ 2. Normally, the Knicks game airs on MSG2 only when they are on the road and start at least one hour later than the Rangers due to the fact that the Knicks is the Madison Square Garden and MSG's highest-rated property. However, several Knicks home games originally scheduled to air on MSG were moved to MSG2 in 2008, in favor of Rangers playoff games.On cable systems, these networks air mostly on the TV Guide Channel
TV Guide Channel
TV Guide Network is an American cable network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation....
as the "over-the-air" telecast. On satellite systems, these networks will air on alternate channels assigned by the satellite television provider. When MSG2 and MSG+ 2 air both at the same time, one of them will air on the alternate channel, mostly, for cable, on C-SPAN2
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
.
From the 1998-1999 NBA and NHL seasons to the 2004-2005 seasons, instead of these alternate channels, Cablevision placed games on their MSG Metro Channels
MSG Metro Channels
MSG Metro Channels were a series of local-minded New York City cable networks which launched in 1998 and folded in late 2005. Owned by Rainbow Media, the Metro networks were founded as a spinoff of the MSG Sports networks. The network was originally split into three separate channels, MSG Metro...
, which were available in a limited number of homes, causing certain customers to miss the games. In high cases of overflow, partially caused by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
being broadcast on the now-rebranded FSN New York at the same time, games were also placed on WLNY
WLNY
WLNY-TV, channel 55, is an independent television station licensed to Riverhead, New York, with studios in Melville, New York and transmitter in Middle Island, New York. WLNY's primary over-the-air signal serves most of Long Island, comprising Nassau and Suffolk counties...
. During this era, when two of the teams that the MSG Networks covered played against each other, only one broadcast would usually be produced using one of the team's announcing teams. This was either due to MSG's TV contracts or a desire to show a different sporting event at the same time. Beginning in the 2005-2006 NBA and NHL seasons, when Metro was discontinued and Nets telecasts moved to YES
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
, FSN New York (now MSG+) and MSG resumed airing FSN New York 2 (now MSG+ 2) and MSG2 and produce two broadcasts when two of their teams are playing against each other.
MSG+ HD
MSG+ also has a high-definition feed named MSG+ HD. In addition, MSG+2 is broadcast in HD depending on geographic location and television provider. All of the home games for New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and New York Red Bulls and most road games for these teams airing on MSG+ are HD-Available (Lizards games are currently not HD-Available). It is carried on Cablevision (except Cablevision of Litchfield), Time Warner Cable of New York and New Jersey, RCN, and DirecTV. Comcast will carry MSG+ HD full time starting on October 15, 2009 for Northern and Central NJ systems within the NYC DMA. MSG+ HD is currently not available on other providers that carry MSG+. According to Verizon, MSG+ HD was excluded from the agreement with Verizon from Cablevision/Rainbow Media, along with MSG HD.On January 22, 2009, MSG HD and MSG+ HD hockey broadcasts were absent from NHL's GameCenter Live because of a contract dispute between MSG and the NHL, but on March 17, 2010 beginning with the game between the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins, MSG HD and MSG+ HD returned to NHL Center Ice as confirmed by Gary Bettman during the NHL Hour broadcast.
Graphics/Tickers
MSG+ uses a similar graphics package to MSG for their telecasts, but has unique animated elements. MSG+ displays a scoreboard ticker which, except during live sports broadcasts and The Final Score, operates full-time, even during commercials.Non-local programs
Even though the channel has been renamed, it still carries some Fox Sports NetFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
programming, like FSN Final Score
FSN Final Score
Final Score was the nightly sports news program that aired across the United States on Fox Sports Net....
and The Best Damn Sports Show Period
The Best Damn Sports Show Period
The Best Damn Sports Show Period is an American sports television show on Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. The show regularly featured irreverent and opinionated interviews with top athletes, coaches, celebrities, and entertainers. It also aired Top 50 countdown shows and other sports...
, and The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
, similar to Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
affiliates where there is no local FSN.
Arena Football League coverage
FSN New York (now MSG+) aired some New York DragonsNew York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
games as part of the AFL on FSN package.
Collegiate programming
MSG+ also airs college sports games (many produced by FSN) and local weekly college basketball reports for Hofstra UniversityHofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
(MSG carries weekly college football or basketball reports for Rutgers University and St. John's University). However, games involving teams in the Tri-State New York Area are generally blacked out outside this area. Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
, among others, often acquires rights to the local games in order to put them on its own channels in certain markets. Nationally broadcast FSN games will air in all MSG+ zones, unless a local team is playing at the same time. In such a case, the college game will be shown as joined-in-progress basis, on MSG if there is no other live game scheduled, or not at all.
New York Rangers and New York Red Bulls on MSG+
New York Rangers and New York Red Bulls games are mainly aired on MSG, but they air on MSG+ when New York Knicks (for Rangers) or New York Liberty (for Red Bulls) air on MSG and there are no other local teams that air mainly on MSG+ at the same time. The Knicks and Liberty have higher ratings for MSG than the Rangers and Red Bulls, respectively, thus they rarely air on MSG+.The same goes for MSG, that either the New York Islanders or New Jersey Devils, teams that mainly air on MSG+, air on MSG when these teams play at the same time and when no other local teams that mainly air on MSG are playing at that time.
Since the start of 2006-2007 NBA and NHL seasons, there are strategy changes. Some Rangers telecasts air on MSG+ even when there is a conflict with Islanders and/or Devils, resulting these telecasts to be moved to MSG2 and/or MSG+ 2. Also, when the Knicks are out of the playoff contention and the Rangers are in the playoff contention or vice versa, the Rangers telecast usually air on MSG and the Knicks telecast on MSG2, or vice versa.
Awards
MSG+ received Promax Awards in 2009 for their Branding/Imaging Launch, High School Campaign, and Devils and Islanders TunersMSG/MSG+ broadcasting zones
- 1: Tri-State New York Area: All Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Liberty, and Red Bulls games on MSG and MSG+.
- 2: Upstate New York Area (north of Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess Counties): All Knicks, Liberty, Red Bulls, and Sabres games on MSG or MSG+, up to 50 games each for Rangers, Islanders, and Devils games on MSG or MSG+.
- 3: Western New York Area (within 50 miles (80.5 km) of Buffalo, including Rochester): All Knicks, Liberty, and Red Bulls games on MSG and MSG+. All Sabres games on MSG.
- 4: Northeastern Pennsylvania Area (excluding Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerene, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties): All Liberty and Red Bulls games on MSG and MSG+.
- 5: Central Connecticut Area (north and east of Fairfield County) and Northeastern Pennsylvania Area (Wilkes-Barre and Scranton Areas): All Knicks, Liberty, and Red Bulls games, up to 50 games each (sometimes all, depending on NHL's out-of-market rules) for Rangers, Islanders, and Devils games on MSG or MSG+.
- 6: Eastern Connecticut Area (New London and Windham Counties): All Red Bulls games, up to 50 games each (sometimes all, depending on NHL's out-of-market rules) for Rangers, Islanders, and Devils games on MSG or MSG+.
- 7: Southwestern New York Area (within 100 miles (160.9 km) of Cleveland): All Red Bulls and Sabres games on MSG or MSG+.
- 8: Northeastern Pennsylvania Area (Bradford, Lackawanna (excluding Scranton area), Luzerene (excluding Wilkes-Barre area), Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties): All Knicks, Liberty, and Red Bulls games on MSG or MSG+.
- 9: Northwestern Pennsylvania Area (areas in the Buffalo Sabres market): All Sabres games on MSG.
Hoosick area
The HoosickHoosick, New York
Hoosick is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 6,759 at the 2000 census.The Town of Hoosick is in the northeast corner of the county.- History :...
area was formerly the only market on Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
(within New York) that did not carry the now-rebranded FSN New York. The Hoosick area was also formerly provided by Adelphia's system in Bennington, Vermont (now part of Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
). It formerly carried FSN New England (now CSN New England), but because of FSN's rule, it was replaced by FSN New York.
Central New York
Time Warner Cable of Central New York formerly carried the now-rebranded FSN New York only on the digital standard package, but it is now also carried on the standard cable package after the deal with Cablevision/Rainbow Media to place it on the standard cable package in most areas in the region. This was largely to accommodate Buffalo Sabres fans.Southern Tier New York
The following markets on Time Warner Cable of Southern Tier New York currently do not carry MSG+:- FredoniaFredonia, New YorkFredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
- JamestownJamestown, New YorkJamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
- Sayre, PASayre, PennsylvaniaSayre is the largest borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, northwest of Scranton. In the past, various iron products were made there. In 1900, 5,243 people lived there; in 1910, 6,426 people lived there, and in 1940, 7,569 persons made their homes in Sayre. The population was 5,813 at the 2000...
- UlyssesUlysses, New YorkUlysses is a town located in northwest Tompkins County, New York, U.S.. The population was 4,900 at the 2010 census. The town was named after the hero of the Odyssey....
- SalamancaSalamanca (city), New YorkSalamanca is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States, located inside the Allegany Indian Reservation. The population was 6,097 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
(served by Atlantic BroadbandAtlantic BroadbandAtlantic Broadband is a privately held cable company with headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. The company has over 700 employees and 285,000 customers in four operating regions: Florida, Maryland/Delaware, South Carolina and Central Pennsylvania...
)
Rochester area
The following markets (as well as markets formerly provided by Adelphia) on Time Warner Cable of Rochester are the only markets that carry MSG+:- RochesterRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
- DresdenDresden, Yates County, New York----Dresden is a village in Yates County, New York, USA. The population was 307 at the 2000 census. The village was named after Dresden in Germany.The Village of Dresden is in the Town of Torrey and is twelve miles south of Geneva, New York...
- Finger LakesFinger LakesThe Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
Western New York
Time Warner Cable of Western New York currently carries MSG Plus in HD on channel 777 and in SD on channel 70.Personalities
- Kenny AlbertKenny AlbertKenny Albert , is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert...
: Fill-in Knicks play-by-play announcer - Mike BreenMike BreenMichael "Mike" Breen is a play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ABC and the lead commentator for New York Knicks games on the MSG network...
: Knicks play-by-play announcer - Steve Cangialosi: Devils sideline reporter and pre- and post-game show and intermission report host; Red Bulls play by play announcer and pre- and post-game show and halftime report host; fill-in Devils play-by-play announcer
- Rob Carlin: Islanders sideline reporter and pre- and post-game show and intermission report host, primarily for road games.
- Mike CrispinoMike CrispinoMike Crispino is an American sportscaster who currently serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for the New York Knicks as well as host of the MSG Network's golf show, The Road to the Barclays. Crispino is also the lead play by play announcer for St. John's Red Storm Men's Basketball team on...
: Fill-in Knicks play-by-play announcer - Ken DaneykoKen DaneykoKenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
: Devils pre- and post-game show and intermission report analyst - Mike EmrickMike EmrickMichael "Doc" Emrick, is an American sports commentator noted mostly for his work in ice hockey. Emrick is currently the lead announcer for NHL national telecasts on both NBC and Versus...
: Devils play-by-play announcer - Boomer EsiasonBoomer EsiasonNorman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
: "The Boomer Esiason Show" host - Stan FischlerStan FischlerStan Fischler is a hockey and New York City Subway historian, broadcaster, author and professor.For his hockey knowledge, Fischler promotes himself as “The Hockey Maven” in both local and national circles...
: MSG Hockey Night Live studio analyst, occasional Devils or Islanders sideline reporter - Walt FrazierWalt FrazierWalter "Clyde" Frazier is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size for a guard...
: Knicks color analyst - John Giannone: Rangers sideline reporter; fill-in Rangers play-by-play announcer
- Butch GoringButch GoringRobert "Butch" Goring is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. He is a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Islanders. Since retiring as a player he has served as head coach of...
: Islanders color analyst - Jason Horowitz: Aeropostale College Basketball Weekly host; Liberty play-by-play announcer
- Rick JeanneretRick JeanneretRichard "Rick" Jeanneret is the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres and its broadcast network, the Sabres Hockey Network. Having started with the team on radio during the 1971–72 season, he is the longest-tenured announcer in the NHL...
: Sabres play-by-play announcer - Scott Lasky: Inside the Rangers host
- Sal LoCascioSal LoCascioSal LoCascio is a hall of fame lacrosse goaltender and coach.During his playing career, Locascio excelled as both a field lacrosse goalkeeper and a box lacrosse goaltender, two very different positions...
: Lizards color analyst - Dave MaloneyDave MaloneyDavid Wilfred Maloney is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League from 1974–75 until 1984–85....
: Fill-in Rangers color analyst - Jiggs McDonaldJiggs McDonaldJohn Kenneth "Jiggs" McDonald is a sportscaster who did play-by-play announcing for NHL games for almost 40 years. In 1990, McDonald received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame....
: Fill-in Islanders play-by-play announcer - Shep MessingShep MessingShep Messing is a former American soccer goalkeeper and current broadcaster. He played seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and six in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was also a member of the U.S...
: Red Bulls color analyst - Joe Micheletti: Rangers color analyst
- Harry NealeHarry NealeHarold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
: Sabres color analyst - Deb PlaceyDeb PlaceyDeborah Kaufman Placey is the New Jersey Devils news anchor/reporter for the team's televised home and road games on MSG Plus and the MSG Network. Placey is joining the New Jersey Devils after ten seasons reporting for the New York Islanders...
: Islanders pre- and post-game show and intermission report host; MSG Hockey Night Live fill-in host - Rob RayRob RayRobert John Ray, nicknamed Rayzor is a Canadian sports broadcaster and former professional ice hockey player. He was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy by the National Hockey League in 1999 for leadership and humanitarianism....
: Sabres sideline reporter - Chico Resch: Devils color analyst
- Carl Reuter: Lizards play-by-play announcer
- Mike RobitailleMike RobitailleMichael James David Robitaille is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks...
: Fill-in Sabres color analyst - Howie RoseHowie RoseHowie Rose is an American sportscaster. He is currently the radio voice of the New York Mets on WFAN, and the television announcer for the New York Islanders on MSG Plus.-Early life and career:...
: Islanders play-by-play announcer - Sam RosenSam Rosen (sportscaster)Sam Rosen is an American sportscaster, best known as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Rangers games on MSG. On June 8, 2008, Rosen was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame....
: Rangers play-by-play announcer - Kevin Sylvester: Fill-in Sabres play-by-play announcer
- Al TrautwigAl TrautwigAl Trautwig is a commentator with the MSG Network, NBC, Versus, and USA Network. He does the pre-game and post-game shows for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, as well as fill-in play-by-play for both teams.-Early life:...
: MSG Hockey Night Live host; Rangers primary sideline reporter and primary pre- and post-game show and intermission report host