NESN Nation Takes Different Swing at Sports FAST Channel

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor New England sports outlet NESN thinks it can tackle new viewers with a free, ad-supported outlet that shows more than just clips, archived studio shows and old games.

The primary broadcaster of games from the Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins, NESN is launching NESN Nation, a FAST channel that CEO David Wisnia believes will lure viewers to its telecasts by providing something other outlets don’t: original programming. “We are launching this initiative as another way to create unique storytelling about what matters to our fans and our viewers,” he says in a recent interview. “We are looking to reach viewers not only inside the region we cover, but also nationwide.” NESN, backed by both Fenway Sports Group and Delaware North, is grappling with new disruption in the world of regional sports coverage.

So-called regional sports networks have long commanded top affiliate fees from cable and satellite systems, but as more consumers choose streaming venues and even direct-subscription options, economic support for those linear assets has eroded.

Last year, for example, YES Network and MSG Networks, both of which showcase New York sports, launched a digital joint venture that streams games from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Brooklyn Nets and New York Yankees.