Fox Sports Tennessee

History

Fox Sports Tennessee launched on October 31, 2008, and was created through the separation of Fox Sports South into three regional networks: alongside the main Fox Sports South channel (originating from Atlanta, Georgia) and Fox Sports Carolinas, the latter of which launch on the same date as Fox Sports Tennessee. In July 2013, News Corporation spun off the Fox Sports Networks and most of its other U.S. entertainment properties into 21st Century Fox.

On December 14, 2017, as part of a merger between both companies, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to acquire all 22 regional Fox Sports networks from 21st Century Fox, including Fox Sports Tennessee. However, on June 27, 2018, the Justice Department ordered their divestment under antitrust grounds, citing Disney's ownership of ESPN. On May 3, 2019, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios (through their joint venture, Diamond Holdings) bought Fox Sports Networks from The Walt Disney Company for $10.6 billion. The deal closed on August 22, 2019.

In 2020, Diamond Sports formed a partnership with Bally's Corporation was formed to rebrand the networks as "Bally Sports". On January 27, 2021, Bally's and Sinclair issued a joint press release unveiling the new logos for the rebrand of the networks that will occur at a still undetermined date later in 2021. It also was announced that Fox Sports Tennessee would be shut down at that time with programming being merged into the new Bally Sports South (previously Fox Sports South) and Bally Sports Southeast (previously Fox Sports Southeast). The final event broadcast by the network was a 3-2 Predators win in overtime against the Dallas Stars on March 30, 2021.

Programming

Fox Sports Tennessee held the regional cable television rights to the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the Nashville Predators of the NHL. It also carried simulcasts of Major League Baseball games, carrying Cincinnati Reds games televised by Fox Sports Ohio, St. Louis Cardinals games televised by Fox Sports Midwest and (within Tennessee) Atlanta Braves games televised by Fox Sports South, as well as coverage of collegiate sports events from the Southeastern Conference.

Other services

Fox Sports Tennessee HD

Fox Sports Tennessee HD was a high definition simulcast feed of Fox Sports Tennessee, which broadcasts in the 720p format. The channel broadcasts most Predators and Grizzlies games (both live telecasts and late-night replays) as well as several NCAA football and basketball games shown nationally on FSN and other programming distributed nationally by Fox Sports Networks in high definition. Fox Sports Tennessee HD originally transmitted only during game telecasts (with a test pattern being shown at other times) until July 2009, when it was converted into a 24-hour simulcast feed.

Announcers

Memphis Grizzlies

• Pete Pranica – play by play announcer
• Brevin Knight – analyst
• Rob Fischer - sideline reporter / Grizzlies LIVE host
• Chris Vernon - Grizzlies LIVE analyst / contributor

Nashville Predators

• Willy Daunic - play-by-play announcer
• Chris Mason - analyst
• Kara Hammer - rinkside reporter
• Terry Crisp - Predators LIVE analyst
• Lyndsay Rowley - Predators LIVE host/reporter
• Jerome Jurenovich and Kelsey Wingert – Preds Studio Update Host

References

References

1. (November 1, 2008). "Fox Sports Launches Regional Nets in Tennessee, Carolinas". [[Reed Business Information]].
2. (22 August 2019). "Sinclair completes acquisition of regional sports networks from Disney". Bloomberg.
3. Littleton, Cynthia. (3 May 2019). "Sinclair Clinches Disney-Regional Sports Networks Deal, Byron Allen Joins as Partner".
4. (Jan 27, 2021). "Sinclair Broadcast Group And Bally's Corporation Unveil Official Bally Sports Logo And Corresponding Regional Monikers". Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc ; Bally's Corporation.
5. (March 8, 2011). "FOX Sports Tennessee, SportSouth to Televise 123 Reds Games during 2011 MLB Season". Fox Sports Tennessee.
6. "2011 Fox Sports Tennessee and SportSouth St. Louis Cardinals Telecast Schedule".