June 1 (UPI) — The New England Sports Network — which broadcasts games for Boston’s baseball and hockey teams — became the first regional sports network in the United States to launch its own standalone streaming service on Wednesday.
The network, popularly known by its initials, launched NESN 360 on Wednesday. It’s the first standalone service from a regional sports network to offer access to games.
“We believe the direct subscription option will build on NESN’s reach in the region, and will be an excellent complement to the existing, valuable partnerships we have with TV providers to bring NESN to all homes in New England,” NESN President Sean McGrail said in a statement.
The new service makes live games featuring Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and the NHL’s Boston Bruins — as well as other programming — available to fans without a cable subscription.
NESN was launched in 1984 and has covered the Red Sox and Bruins for almost 40 years. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
The streaming service, however, is only available in the New England area and is being run in cooperation with both teams and Major League Baseball.
NESN said that it’s also working toward content from “notable personalities” and other partners like The Boston Globe.
“We are … combining a premium digital offering with the excitement of the venues and teams,” NESN Chief Marketing Officer Ahmed Darwish said in a statement. He called the new streaming service an “unparalleled offering.”
Cable subscribers will also be able to access the NESN service by signing in with their cable credentials, as is done with many other network streamers like ESPN and Fox Sports.
NESN was launched in 1984 and has covered the Red Sox and Bruins for almost 40 years.