MSG Plus (known on air as
MSG+) 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 Red Bull New York.
MSG is also the television home of the NBA's New York Knicks, WNBA's New York Liberty, and NHL's Buffalo Sabres. Although MSG has nine broadcasting zones, MSG+ has eight broadcasting zones because the remaining zone's eligible MSG Media team is the Buffalo Sabres, which is exclusive to MSG.
History
SportsChannel New York
MSG+ was originally launched by Cablevision as SportsChannel New York in 1976. It was the first
SportsChannel America 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.
FSN New York
The first event on Fox Sports New York was the NBA basketball game on the following night between the
New Jersey Nets 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.
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 Federer vs.
Pete Sampras exhibition tennis match at
Madison Square Garden (the game was also available nationally on
The Tennis Channel).
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 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.
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 Red Bull New York 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.
Programming
Non-local programs
Even though the channel has been renamed, it still carries some
Fox Sports Net 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.
Arena Football League coverage
FSN New York (now MSG+) aired some
New York Dragons 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 University (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.
New York Rangers and Red Bull New York on MSG+
New York Rangers and Red Bull New York 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 Tuners
MSG/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 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 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.
MSG+ in Upstate New York
Hoosick area
The
Hoosick 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.
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+:
Fredonia
Jamestown
Sayre, PA
Ulysses
Salamanca (served by Atlantic Broadband)
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+:
Rochester
Dresden
Finger Lakes
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 Albert: Fill-in Knicks play-by-play announcer
Mike Breen: 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 Crispino: Fill-in Knicks play-by-play announcer
Ken Daneyko: Devils pre- and post-game show and intermission report analyst
Mike Emrick: Devils play-by-play announcer
Boomer Esiason: "The Boomer Esiason Show" host
Stan Fischler: MSG Hockey Night Live studio analyst, occasional Devils or Islanders sideline reporter
Walt Frazier: Knicks color analyst
John Giannone: Rangers sideline reporter; fill-in Rangers play-by-play announcer
Butch Goring: Islanders color analyst
Jason Horowitz: Aeropostale College Basketball Weekly host; Liberty play-by-play announcer
Rick Jeanneret: Sabres play-by-play announcer
Scott Lasky: Inside the Rangers host
Sal LoCascio: Lizards color analyst
Dave Maloney: Fill-in Rangers color analyst
Jiggs McDonald: Fill-in Islanders play-by-play announcer
Shep Messing: Red Bulls color analyst
Joe Micheletti: Rangers color analyst
Harry Neale: Sabres color analyst
Deb Placey: Islanders pre- and post-game show and intermission report host; MSG Hockey Night Live fill-in host
Rob Ray: Sabres sideline reporter
Chico Resch: Devils color analyst
Carl Reuter: Lizards play-by-play announcer
Mike Robitaille: Fill-in Sabres color analyst
Howie Rose: Islanders play-by-play announcer
Sam Rosen: Rangers play-by-play announcer
Kevin Sylvester: Fill-in Sabres play-by-play announcer
Al Trautwig: MSG Hockey Night Live host; Rangers primary sideline reporter and primary pre- and post-game show and intermission report host
See also
MSG Network
SportsNet New York
YES Network
References
External links
MSG+ Plus
FSN New York 2 & MSG2 Listings
Category:New York Islanders
Category:New Jersey Devils
Category:Red Bull New York
Category:SportsChannel America
Category:Sports television networks in the United States
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1976
Category:Sports in New York City
Category:Fox Sports Net
Category:Television stations in Connecticut
Category:Television stations in New Jersey
Category:Television stations in New York
Category:New York Islanders broadcasters
