By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
Former Sony employee and editor of 4 TV magazines.
Starting today, Comcast’s Xfinity subscribers will have to pay extra for SportsNet Pittsburgh, the regional TV home to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The cable operator is moving the regional sports network (RSN) from its $70 a month Popular plan to its $90 a month Ultimate plan, the newspaper writes. The move of a RSN to a higher tier has become commonplace recently as satellite and cable operators try to offset the cost of carrying expensive sports channels.
In addition, by moving the RSN to a higher tier, fewer subscribers will have access to it, meaning the TV provider has to pay fewer fees to the channel.
The Tribune-Review writes that Comcast will issue promotional offers to subscribers looking to upgrade to Ultimate.
“Most of our customers who receive the network today already have Ultimate TV, and our viewership information shows that they are the ones primarily watching it, so that’s why we’re making this change,” Comcast said in a statement to the newspaper. “We appreciate SportsNet Pittsburgh working with us to find a solution that balances cost and consumer choice to watch local sports in this changing video marketplace.”
“Comcast made the decision to move SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) to the Ultimate TV package,” SportsNet Pittsburgh said in a separate statement. “Subscribers should contact Comcast to make sure they have SNP, Penguins and Pirates games, in their package.”
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
