View source for NBC Sports Bay Area

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = NBC Sports Bay Area
| logo = NBC Sports Bay Area 2023.svg
| logo_caption = 
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1989|09|}}
| closed_date = 
| picture_format = [[1080i]] ([[High-definition television|HDTV]])<br>[[480i]] ([[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| network = [[NBC Sports Regional Networks]]
| owner = NBC Sports Bay Area Holdings<br>{{small|([[NBC Sports Group]] and<br> [[San Francisco Giants]])}}
| country = United States
| language = English<br>Spanish (via SAP)
| area = [[San Francisco Bay Area]]<br>[[Northern California]]<br>[[Central California]]<br>[[Southern Oregon]]<br>[[Nevada]]<br>[[Hawaii]]<br>Nationwide (via satellite)
| headquarters = 360 3rd St, [[San Francisco]], CA 94107
| former_names = Pacific Sports Network (1989–1991)<br>[[SportsChannel]] Bay Area (1990–1991)<br>SportsChannel Pacific (1991–1998)<br>Fox Sports Bay Area (1998–1999)<br>Fox Sports Net Bay Area (1999–2004)<br>FSN Bay Area (2004–2008)<br>Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (2008–2017)
| replaced_by = 
| sister_channels = '''Cable/satellite:'''<br>[[NBC Sports California]]<br>'''Broadcast:'''<br>[[KNTV]] & [[KSTS]]/[[San Jose, California|San Jose]]
| timeshift_service = 
| website = {{URL|http://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/|www.nbcsports.com/bayarea}}
| availability_note = <br>{{small|(some events may air on overflow feed NBC Sports Bay Area Plus due to event conflicts)}}
| online_serv_1 = Affiliated Streaming Service(s)
| online_chan_1 = [[Peacock TV|Peacock]]
| online_serv_2     = [[DirecTV Stream]]
| online_chan_2     = [[IPTV|Internet Protocol television]]
| online_serv_3     = [[YouTubeTV]]
| online_chan_3     = [[IPTV|Internet Protocol television]]
| online_serv_4     = [[Hulu Live]]
| online_chan_4     = [[IPTV|Internet Protocol television]]
| online_serv_5     = [[FuboTV]]
| online_chan_5     = [[IPTV|Internet Protocol television]]
}}

'''NBC Sports Bay Area''' (sometimes abbreviated as '''NBCS Bay Area''') is an American [[regional sports network]] owned as a [[joint venture]] between [[NBCUniversal]] and the [[San Francisco Giants]], and operates as an affiliate of [[NBC Sports Regional Networks]]. Headquartered in [[San Francisco]], the channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional sports events throughout the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. NBCS Bay Area's sister channel is [[NBC Sports California]]. The president of the network is [[Ted Griggs]].

== History ==
===Pacific Sports Network===
The '''Pacific Sports Network''' was launched in September 1989 as a joint-venture of [[Tele-Communications Inc.|TCI]] and [[Viacom (1952–2005)|Viacom]]. It initially held rights to the [[Golden State Warriors]] and various college sporting events, including those from [[Pac-12 Conference|Pac 10]] conference through its associate with [[Prime Network]]. The network was available as a [[basic cable]] service.<ref name="broadcasting">{{cite news |title=I TOP OF THE WEEK I i SportsChannel wraps up Bay Area baseball |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1989/BC-1989-12-18.pdf |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Broadcasting |issue=25 |date=December 18, 1989|volume=117 }}</ref>

===SportsChannel Bay Area===
'''SportsChannel Bay Area''' was an owned-and-operated outlet of [[SportsChannel]] that launched on April 2, 1990, under the ownership of [[Rainbow Media]], the broadcasting subsidiary of [[Cablevision|Cablevision Systems Corporation]]. The new network was formed when both the [[Oakland Athletics]] and [[San Francisco Giants]] reached an agreement with SportsChannel to televise their games. The Athletics' contract included 50 games and while the Giants' had 55 games, an increase of 20 games from the team's previous [[pay-per-view]] service [[GiantsVision]]. Both teams had also been in negotiations with the Pacific Sports Network, but didn't want their games shown on basic cable.<ref name="broadcasting" />  At launch, SportsChannel Bay Area was offered as a [[premium channel]] in-market and as a basic cable service in the outer market which included southern Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii, and Arizona. Other programming included SportsChannel's national programming which featured its [[NHL on SportsChannel America|NHL package]]. Additionally, SportsChannel Bay Area televised local college and high school sports, including the [[University of San Francisco]], [[San Jose State]], and [[University of California|California]] and [[Stanford University|Stanford]] games that were not part of Prime's PAC 10 package.<ref>{{cite news |title=More sports for the Bay Area |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1990/BC-1990-01-22.pdf |access-date=5 April 2021 |work=Broadcasting |date=January 22, 1990}}</ref>

===Merger of two networks and new partnership===
The two networks merged on July 12, 1991, to become '''SportsChannel Pacific'''.<ref>{{cite news |title=SportsChannel, PSN merge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/311383830/ |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Press Democrat from Santa Rosa, California |date=July 13, 1991 |language=en}}</ref> The combined network operated as a premium service until June 1, 1997 when it moved to basic cable.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Slusser |first1=Susan |title=SUSAN SLUSSER ON THE AIR -- SportsChannel To Be Free With Basic Cable |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/SUSAN-SLUSSER-ON-THE-AIR-SportsChannel-To-Be-2843026.php |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=SFGATE |date=25 April 1997}}</ref> In 1991, SportsChannel Pacific picked up rights to the new [[San Jose Sharks]] NHL team with a 10 game agreement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Local cable TV adds Sharks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/462229114/ |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Newspapers.com |publisher=The San Francisco Examiner |date=October 23, 1991 |language=en}}</ref>

On June 30, 1997, [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] and [[Liberty Media]] – which formed [[Fox Sports Networks|Fox Sports Net]] the year prior through News Corporation's partial acquisition of the Liberty-owned [[Prime Network]] group of regional sports networks – purchased a 40% interest in Cablevision's sports properties including the SportsChannel networks (as well as [[Madison Square Garden]] and its [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] and [[National Hockey League|NHL]] team tenants, the [[New York Knicks]] and [[New York Rangers]]);<ref>{{cite news|title=Fox putting together national Sports Net // Changes ahead for SportsChannel|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4383098.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194306/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4383098.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=June 24, 1997|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=National net keys regional deal. (Fox Sports, Liberty Media Corp. challenge ESPN with stake in SportsChannel)|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19555907.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910170418/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19555907.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 10, 2015|author=John M. Higgins|author-link=John M. Higgins|periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=June 30, 1997|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> the three companies formed the venture National Sports Partners to run the owned-and-operated regional networks. The channel was rebranded as '''Fox Sports Bay Area''' on January 28, 1998,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldfisher |first1=Alastair |title=SportsChannel changes name following venture |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1998/02/02/newscolumn3.html |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=www.bizjournals.com |date=Feb 1, 1998}}</ref> at which time most of the SportsChannel networks (with the exception of [[SportsChannel Florida]], which did not join the network until 2000) underwent a near-groupwide rebranding as part of their integration into the Fox Sports Net family. Prior to the Cablevision decision to affiliate with Fox Sports, some FSN programming had been airing on [[BayTV]], a local cable channel operated by [[KRON-TV]] and Liberty Media's sister company [[Tele-Communications Inc.|TCI]]; the deal which was signed in March 1997 was to last three years. ''[[National Sports Report|Fox Sports News]]'' continued airing on BayTV until March 31, 1998, when it was moved to Fox Sports Bay Area. However, most of FSN's Pac-10 telecasts also remained on BayTV until the affiliation agreement expired in January 2000. Fox Sports Bay Area aired only a limited number of games featuring local and state teams (usually when there was a scheduling conflict). This led to viewers complaints since the better games were often on BayTV which had limited distribution.<ref>{{cite news|author=Susan Slusser|date=March 8, 1997|title=BayTV Picks Up FoxSports|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|publisher=Chronicle Publishing Company|url=http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/BayTV-Picks-Up-FoxSports-2851648.php}}</ref><ref name="sfchron-cableburden">{{cite news|author=Susan Slusser|date=January 22, 1998|title=Is Cable Carrying Burden For NFL? / Operators fear cost will be passed on|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|publisher=Chronicle Publishing Company|url=http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Is-Cable-Carrying-Burden-For-NFL-Operators-3015608.php}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Steve Kroner|date=February 26, 1999|title=FOX Provides an Exception|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|publisher=Chronicle Publishing Company|url=http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/FOX-Provides-an-Exception-2944737.php}}</ref>

The channel was then rebranded as '''Fox Sports Net Bay Area''' in 2000, as part of a collective brand modification of the FSN networks under the "Fox Sports Net" banner; subsequently in 2004, the channel shortened its name to '''FSN Bay Area''', through the networks' de-emphasis of the brand.

===Comcast ownership===
[[File:Comcast_Sportsnet_Bay_Area_logo.png|thumb|right|Comcast SportsNet Bay Area logo from March 2013 to April 1, 2017.]]
On April 30, 2007, Comcast purchased a 60% interest in FSN Bay Area, along with a 50% stake in [[Comcast SportsNet New England|FSN New England]], from Rainbow Media for $570 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=Comcast sports new cable networks|url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/comcast-sports-new-cable-networks-1117964028/|author=Cynthia Littleton|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=April 30, 2007|access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> Then on December 10, the San Francisco Giants acquired a 30% stake in FSN Bay Area,<ref name="GiantsFSN">{{cite web|title=SF Giants take stake in FSN|url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/news/sf-giants-take-stake-in-fsn-1117977463/|author=John Dempsey|periodical=Variety|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=December 10, 2007|access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> with News Corporation becoming a minority partner in the network. As a result of Comcast becoming the majority interest holder, the network (after the sale was finalized in February 2008) was integrated into the company's own regional sports network group [[Comcast SportsNet]], rebranding as '''Comcast SportsNet Bay Area''' on March 31, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Authentic Opening Day<!-- Bot generated title -->|url=http://fsnbayarea.com/AuthenticOpeningDay.jsp|website=FSN Bay Area|access-date=2008-03-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319010256/http://fsnbayarea.com/AuthenticOpeningDay.jsp|archive-date=2008-03-19|url-status=dead}}</ref> CSN Bay Area became the first Comcast SportsNet-branded network to use a logo style (utilizing Comcast's then-universal corporate logo), based on the logo for [[SportsNet New York]], that was later adopted by all the other CSN regional networks on October 1, 2008. Shortly after the rebranding in April 2008, Fox agreed to sell its interest in CSN Bay Area to Comcast.<ref name="sbj-foxsellscsnba">{{cite news|last1=Ourand|first1=John|title=Comcast-Fox make Bay Area deal as Big Ten talks continue|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2008/04/20080421/This-Weeks-News/Comcast-Fox-Make-Bay-Area-Deal-As-Big-Ten-Talks-Continue.aspx|access-date=December 30, 2016|work=[[Sports Business Journal]]|date=April 21, 2008}}</ref>

Following Comcast's purchase of majority control of [[NBCUniversal]], which already owned [[NBC]] [[owned-and-operated station]] [[KNTV]] (channel 11) and [[Telemundo]] O&O [[KSTS]] (channel 48), on April 19, 2011, the network announced plans to build an additional set specifically for use on sports segments seen on KNTV's newscasts. The revamp would also include in-depth interviews in addition to providing scores and highlights, and utilize CSN Bay Area's sports anchors and analysts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Comcast to provide sports content for KNTV|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/19/SP9F1J3TLF.DTL|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=April 19, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:NBC Sports Bay Area.png|thumb|Logo of NBC Sports Bay Area used from April 2, 2017 until 2023]]
On March 22, 2017, Comcast announced that CSN Bay Area would be rebranded '''NBC Sports Bay Area''' on April 2, 2017, in a move meant to "better associate the prestigious NBC Sports legacy with the strength of our Comcast Sports Networks' local sports coverage in Northern California."<ref name="svg-rebranding">{{cite web|title=CSN Bay Area, CSN California To Be Rebranded Under 'NBC Sports' Moniker|url=http://www.sportsvideo.org/2017/03/22/csn-bay-area-csn-california-to-be-rebranded-under-nbc-sports-moniker/|website=Sports Video Group|date=22 March 2017 |access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref>

In mid-January 2025, Comcast/Xfinity gave customers less than 24 hours notice that the NBC Sports Bay Area would be moving to a more expensive tier and unless they upgrade, the customers would lose access to Warriors, Giants and Sharks games on NBC Sports Bay Area.<ref>{{cite news|title=Comcast abruptly jacks up prices on Warriors, Sharks, SF Giants fans|url=https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/comcast-abrupt-price-changes-nbc-sports-bay-area-20032526.php|newspaper=[[SF Gate/Hearst]]|date=January 14, 2025}}</ref>

In March 2025, it was announced that NBC Sports Bay Area and the remaining NBC Sports Regional affiliates would be available on Peacock as a Sports add-on.

==Programming ==
NBC Sports Bay Area holds the regional cable television rights to the [[San Francisco Giants]] of [[Major League Baseball]] and the NBA's [[Golden State Warriors]]. The network also airs athletic events from [[San Jose State University]] and the university's show ''The Charge''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sjsuspartans.com/news/2022/7/26/general-san-jos-state-enhances-partnership-with-nbc-sports-bay-area-california.aspx | title=San José State Expands Partnership with NBC Sports Bay Area | website=sjsuspartans.com}}</ref>

The channel also broadcasts college sports sanctioned by the West Coast Conference. Select high school sports events are also occasionally broadcast on the network.

Until 2004, the network also broadcast games involving the NBA's [[Sacramento Kings]]. Following the expiration of their contracts with the then-FSN Bay Area, the owners of the Kings partnered with Comcast to create CSN Bay Area's sister channel, Comcast SportsNet West (now NBC Sports California). CSN Bay Area was also home to the [[Oakland Athletics]] Major League Baseball franchise until the end of the 2008 season, when the team's games also moved to CSN California; similarly, CSN Bay Area was the home of the NHL's [[San Jose Sharks]] until the end of the 2008–09 NHL season when their games also moved to [[Comcast SportsNet California]]. CSN Bay Area also televised select California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal sports not on national television before the third-tier rights to their games moved to Pac-12 Network upon its launch in 2012.

Through its partial ownership by Fox, CSN Bay Area formerly carried programming distributed nationally for Fox Sports Networks affiliates, even after relinquishing controlling ownership of the network to Comcast and the Giants. This included access to a variety of college sports, notably Sunday telecasts of men's and women's basketball games from the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]], Pac-12 basketball games on various nights, as well as Saturday telecasts of football games from the Pac-12 and [[Big 12 Conference]]s during their respective seasons. Most of that programming has shifted to Fox Sports' national sports network [[Fox Sports 1]] or [[Fox College Sports]], with Comcast SportsNet having dropped FSN-distributed programming in September 2012 after the two parties were unable to renew their program content agreement.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBC Sports Group Drops FSN Programming From Comcast RSNs|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2012/08/14/NBC.aspx?hl=Comcast%20SportsNet%20FSN%20Chicago&sc=0|author=John Ourand|website=Sports Business Journal|publisher=[[Advance Publications]]|date=August 14, 2012|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> This arrangement was formed to secure national coverage for its lineup of collegiate sports events. The channel also aired simulcasts of radio shows such as ''[[The Dan Patrick Show]]'' until those programs were inherited by [[NBCSN|NBC Sports Network]].

==Current and former notable staff members==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Rich Aurilia]] – Giants studio analyst
* [[Kelenna Azubuike]] – Warriors color analyst
* [[Jim Barnett (basketball)|Jim Barnett]] - Warriors color analyst
* [[Vida Blue]] – Giants studio analyst
* [[Brodie Brazil]] – ''SportsNet Central'' anchor and reporter
* Laura Britt &ndash; Multi-platform host and reporter<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/press/laura-britt-joins-nbc-sports-bay-area-nbc-sports-california|title=LAURA BRITT JOINS NBC SPORTS BAY AREA, NBC SPORTS CALIFORNIA - NBCS Bay Area|date=19 April 2018|website=nbcsports.com|access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref>
* [[Dennis Brown (defensive end)|Dennis Brown]] – 49ers studio analyst
* Kerith Burke – Warriors sideline reporter<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/press/kerith-burke-joins-nbc-sports-bay-area-golden-state-warriors-sideline-reporter|title=KERITH BURKE JOINS NBC SPORTS BAY AREA AS GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SIDELINE REPORTER - NBCS Bay Area|date=11 October 2017|website=nbcsports.com|access-date=7 September 2018}}</ref>
* [[Shawn Estes]] – Giants studio analyst
* [[Ahmed Fareed]] – ''SportsNet Central'' anchor and reporter
* [[Dave Feldman]] – ''SportsNet Central'' anchor and reporter
* [[Bob Fitzgerald]] – Warriors play-by-play announcer
* [[Amy Gutierrez]] – Giants sideline reporter
* [[Kelli Johnson]] – ''SportsNet Central'' anchor and reporter
* [[Jim Kozimor]] – ''SportsTalk Live'' anchor
* [[Mike Krukow]] – Giants color analyst
* [[Duane Kuiper]] – Giants play-by-play announcer
* [[Bill Laskey]] – Giants studio analyst
* [[Matt Maiocco]] – 49ers Insider
* [[Greg Papa]] – Warriors pre-game and post-game host, substitute Giants pre-game and post-game host, and substitute play-by-play announcer
* Monte Poole - Warriors insider, founding member and co-host of “Race In America: A Candid Conversation.”
* [[Ray Ratto]] – NBC Sports Bay Area Senior Insider
* [[Garry St. Jean]] – Warriors studio analyst
* [[Randy Winn]] – Giants studio analyst
* [[Henry Wofford]] – Warriors reporter, host of ''Race Week'', and ''SportsNet Central'' anchor and reporter
* [[Ron Wotus]] – Giants studio analyst

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/}}

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[[Category:NBC Sports Regional Networks|Bay Area]]
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[[Category:Television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
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