This story dropped onto my lap last night. Thanks to Matt Sarzyniak of Matt’s College Sports for bringing it to my attention. He received a tip that the Comcast SportsNet affiliates were no longer carrying Fox Sports Net programming including the Dan Patrick Show as of July 31.
We both checked our DirecTV guides and noticed that none of the CSN affiliates that had been carrying DP and had either infomercials or other programming in its place. And after checking with several sources within the NBC Sports Group/CSN family, it was confirmed that indeed FSN was not being cleared on the CSN networks in Chicago, New England, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
Both NBC Sports Group and Fox Sports Net gave statements on the matter to Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand. First, NBC:
“Our arrangement for the Dan Patrick Show expired and we couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal. We’re still in negotiations and remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement.”
And Fox Sports Net:
“We were unable to reach a new agreement with the Comcast RSNs for the continued distribution of our programming.”
An NBC Sports spokesman tells me that talks are continuing between CSN and FSN and it’s hoped that the programming will return. In the interim, CSN viewers will have to make due without the Dan Patrick Show and Big 12 and Conference USA football.
