Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Live Since '69: MSG Networks Reflects on 50 Years of RSN Success

08/11/2019

Live Since '69: MSG Networks Reflects on 50 Years of RSN Success Linear content, digital series, refreshed logo get top billing in 2019 By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor

Friday, November 8, 2019 - 11:48 am

Print This Story

Story Highlights

1969 was chock-full of impactful events in American history, including, most notably, Apollo 11's mission to the moon and the four-day-long Woodstock music festival. On Oct. 15 of that year, Manhattan Cable Television ushered in the first-ever regional sports network, covering a nighttime matchup between the New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. Fifty years later, MSG Networks continues to forge a legacy of debuting new technologies on live air.

In 1969, we were the first RSN to launch and started with 125 events, including some Knicks and Ranger games, says Jerry Passaro, SVP, network and technical operations, MSG Networks. We continue to stay on the forefront of technology, and, as things make sense for us, we will evaluate and implement them.

In 2009, virtual signage became a new wrinkle on MSG Networks' telecasts of New York Rangers games.

Yesterday's Feats (1990-2009): Network Dips Toe Into HD, Virtual Signage

After nearly three decades in the linear space, the network began feeling the effects rippling through the industry near the turn of the 21st century. As concepts for viewing live games and shoulder programming in HD neared reality, MSG Networks was on the doorstep of its first major transition.

Around 1998, the industry started to change. Before that, it was standard-definition television, says Passaro. It was the first big change, in a sense: MSG was one of the first regular providers of programming in HD. I was on the programming side at that point. Cablevision owned and managed MSG at the time. They were constantly pushing innovation, and HD was piloted by MSG and Cablevision together.

Since MSG's daring decision to transition to HD when it was still just a novelty, higher resolutions have become the norm.

Once we embraced HD, there was no turning back, says Passaro. We built another HD truck when we switched vendors to Game Creek in 2009, another one in 2016, and we're rolling out another 4K-capable, 1080p truck next year in 2020.

Toward the end of the first decade of the new millennium, MSG enhanced its broadcasts again with an implementation that would propel the company deeper into the digital age. Deployed for sports coverage around the globe today, virtual signage on any of the hockey rink's playing surface had never been seen on an RSN broadcast. In 2009, MSG saw that glass ceiling and exploded right through it.

Fans inside The Theater at Madison Square Garden on March 24, 2010, watched the Rangers defeat the New York Islanders in the first-ever NHL game in 3D.

Basically, virtual signage was an opportunity to increase revenue opportunities, says Passaro. We had done some experimenting with PVI [Virtual Media Services] and rolled it out in the 2008-09 season with the whole sensor system. It was very labor-intensive. There were two operators, and there was a lot of setup time involved with that. In 2016, we changed the technology from the sensor system to the image-based system, so it's a lot less labor-intensive.

Digital World (2010-18): 3D, Fantasy Sports Intro New Era of Viewership

With the calendar flipping into the 2010s, digital-centric applications crept toward the center of the production universe. Making headway in movie theaters, 3D was a major technological trend reserved for the big screen. For an inner-city rivalry, though, on March 24, 2010, a selected number of Rangers fans watched their beloved Blue Shirts cruise to a 5-0 win in 3D for the first time.

We basically [shot 3D] right to the home, Passaro explains. We also did a theatrical presentation at MSG and actually filled the entire theater. We had rented a full movie silver screen and had all kinds of officials and dignitaries from other leagues that were interested in it. It was viewed as a very positive type of event.

MSG teamed up with Overtime for a social-media-heavy broadcast of Knicks vs. Cavs on March 17, 2019.

Like virtual signage, 3D has opened the door for other non-traditional viewing options, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

The past three years have been marked by huge strides in fan interaction and real-time data. A year before the advent of legalized sports betting, MSG Networks was the first to offer an alternative viewing option catering to fantasy sports, during a New York Knicks-Cleveland Cavaliers contest on Nov. 13, 2017. Even prior to the fantasy-infused showing, the company had waded into the waters of simulcasts.

The prior season, in 2016-17, we did a test in hockey called The Power Play, says Kevin Marotta, SVP, marketing and content strategy, MSG Networks. We had the three hockey teams [Devils, Rangers, and Islanders] playing, and we showed every time each one was on a power play. We just kept going back and forth, and we said, Okay, there's something interesting here.

The network has unveiled this logo to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

During this NFL Red Zone-esque experiment with multiple outlets, Marotta and the network honed their skills for what was to come with the primary game coverage on MSG and the secondary telecast on MSG+.

We just went super deep for the daily fantasy audience and looked at that as an audience of people who are maybe fans of the sport but not necessarily fans of our team, he says. They were maybe more-casual fans that would come in specifically for that, so it was an opportunity to get a new audience. We also looked at it as an innovation that no one had done before.

The positive results of the experiment paved the way for MSG's most recent foray into interactive data: a partne
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2019/11/08/live-since-69-msg-networks-refl...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

23/09/2026

University of Washington's New Sundodger Studios Leverages ST 2110 to Bring Broadcast, Videoboard, and Creative Under One Roof

Four control rooms support B1G+ streams, videoboard shows, creative content, and...

23/09/2026

Mountain West Conference Moves Replay Operations West, Cutting Late-Night Hours

By Andrew Cohen, SVG Coorespondant The Mountain West debuted its new Replay Operations Center at the start of this football season, bringing real-time collabor...

23/09/2026

SVG Students to Watch: Brian Short, Ball State University

The Taylorville, IL, native is pushing creative boundaries at Ball State, gaining reps across directing, technical directing, tape, and more than 100 ESPN+ broa...

23/09/2026

The Musical and the Power of Spiteful Thinking

Alexander Heller, Nevada Jose, Will Brill, and Giselle Bonilla pose with cast members at The Musical premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles...

23/09/2026

McDonald's takes top spot as New Zealand's fast-food tastes evolve, according to Nielsen

Nielsen CMI data reveals a changing fast-food landscape, with value, convenience...

23/09/2026

AFP, Dalet To Collaborate On News Video Provenance, Authenticity

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

Spectrum News NECN Launches Across New England

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

COW Jobs: Blender on Windows - Generalist - Remote

COW Jobs: Blender on Windows - Generalist - Remote Brie Clayton September 23, 2026 0 Comments Application Users - Blender on Windows - Generalist Se...

23/09/2026

Bitfocus wins IBC2026 Best of Show Award for latest Butto...

Version 1.8 recognised for new workflow tools, boosted control panel flexibility and ease of integration into IP networks...

23/09/2026

Hiltron Reports a Successful IBC2026

Hiltron Communications reports a successful 2026 International Broadcasting Convention, held at the RAI Amsterdam. Exhibiting on stand A37 in Hall 1, Hiltron ex...

23/09/2026

LiveU Showcases AI Driven Production Alongside Resilient...

Reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) broadcast market, LiveU is presenting the Q Era at CABSAT 2026, on Stand H1-D35 ...

23/09/2026

AFP and Dalet Partner to Strengthen the Provenance and Au...

Agence France-Presse (AFP), a global news agency, and Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a partnersh...

23/09/2026

Berklee Connect Unlocks the Power of a Global Network

Berklee Connect Unlocks the Power of a Global Network Katie Vitolins BM '04 knows firsthand what Berklee's alumni community can make possible. Now she...

23/09/2026

Study: Renewals for Streaming Shows Continue to Decline

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

Study: More Than 4 in 10 U.S. Adults Own or Are Interested in Smart Glasses

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

Television Critics Association Revises Bylaws to Address AI

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

eX Celebrates Completion of Holland Mich. FTTP Network

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

Gray Media Renews Ohio Valley Conference Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

23/09/2026

QuickLink StudioPro Powers Next Generation Student Media...

Westminster Schools, a K through 12 school in Atlanta, Georgia with approximately 2,000 students, has transformed its student broadcast and digital storytelling...

23/09/2026

UK Pavilion Brings Leading British Technology to CABSAT a...

The 2026 edition of CABSAT and SATExpo may have a new home and dates in the diary, but it still retains a strong presence from UK companies in the GREAT Britain...

23/09/2026

Glensound marks 60 years with new audio developments at C...

Glensound will return to CABSAT with new developments in professional monitoring and Dante interfacing, alongside its established commentary, esports and parlia...

23/09/2026

Sakeena Fiza Helps NVIDIA Hardware Succeed at Scale

When Sakeena Fiza describes her work as a validation engineer at NVIDIA, she does so in terms more befitting a detective story than a world-class engineering la...

22/09/2026

ESPN, Precision Lasers Light Up NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas

The annual preseason content-gathering event brought 36 NHL players to Las Vegas, where ESPN used 2.5 kilowatts of laser power and a motion-control camera syste...

22/09/2026

Neumann Introduces KK 104 A and KK 105 A Wireless Capsule Heads

Neumann has introduced the KK 104 A (cardioid) and KK 105 A (supercardioid) wireless capsule heads, succeeding the KK 204 and KK 205. The new capsules are compa...

22/09/2026

NFL and TMRW Sports Announce Pro Flag Showcase During Super Bowl LXI Week

The NFL and TMRW Sports have announced a new annual Pro Flag Showcase to be held during Super Bowl LXI week in Los Angeles. The event will feature top flag foot...

22/09/2026

Washington State University Unveils New Daktronics Video Board and Audio System at Gesa Field

Washington State University has unveiled a new end zone video display and audio ...

22/09/2026

SVG Sit-Down: Disney's Dave Johnson on ESPN's New 4K HDR Distribution Pipeline and What It Means for Super Bowl LXI and Beyond

Disney's SVP of Live Operations and Engineering details the technology behin...

22/09/2026

Cosm Promotes Mazen Alawar to SVP of Marketing, Alexis Scalice to VP of Cosm Studios

Cosm has announced two senior promotions. Mazen Alawar has been promoted to SVP,...

22/09/2026

Mississippi State University Extends Camera Relationship with KOKUSAI DENKI

Mississippi State University's University Television Center has purchased four KOKUSAI DENKI SK-UHD7000-S2 cameras since 2024, with plans to add two more, a...

22/09/2026

Net Insight Appoints Christine Kjellvard as Interim CFO

Net Insight has announced that Christine Kjellvard will assume the role of interim Chief Financial Officer on November 1, 2026. Kjellvard has previously held in...

22/09/2026

Net Insight Launches Zyntai TimeNode Access PTP Grandmaster for Edge Sites

Net Insight has announced Zyntai TimeNode Access, a compact PTP Grandmaster designed for distributed edge sites. The product carries secure, precise time across...

22/09/2026

The Weight Explores the High Cost of Freedom in the Depression Era

Sam Hazeldine, Austin Amelio, Padraic McKinley, Julia Jones, and Ethan Hawke attend the premiere of The Weight at The Ray Theatre on January 26, 2026, in Park...

22/09/2026

Apogee Plugins Are Moving to Plugin Alliance

Apogee Plugins Are Moving to Plugin Alliance We're excited to share an important update about the future of Apogee plugins. Apogee plugins are moving to Pl...

22/09/2026

SipRadius honored with a Technology And Engineering Emmy...

Parkland, Florida, US, September 22, 2026: SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, has been honored wit...

22/09/2026

VanityFilter 3.1.5 adds project files and adjustable protection around lips, brows and ears

VanityFilter 3.1.5 adds project files and adjustable protection around lips, bro...

22/09/2026

Chile's TV+ Modernizes Broadcast Operations with Blackmagic Design

Chile's TV Modernizes Broadcast Operations with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton September 22, 2026 0 Comments URSA Broadcast G2 brings versatility...

22/09/2026

OWC Shares Sneak Peek at Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Pricing

OWC Shares Sneak Peek at Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Pricing Brie Clayton September 22, 2026 0 Comments Image courtesy of Deposit Photos Business and ...

22/09/2026

Berklee's First Homecoming Block Party Brings Alumni Home for Global Music Festival

Berklee's First Homecoming Block Party Brings Alumni Home for Global Music F...

22/09/2026

New TVU Pocket Offers Broadcast Features In Phone-Sized Unit

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

Operative Launches Unified Platform for Advertising and Broadcast Management

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

Element Launches New TiVo-Powered Smart TVs in the U.S.

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

NOAA Taps Tomorrow.io for Improved U.S. Weather Forecasts

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

Gray Media Promotes Tim Maloney to GM and Director of Sales at WBKO

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

Reports: Paramount Reaches Settlement with State AGs in Antitrust Suit

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

New Research Lays Out Streaming Services Best Defense Against Churn

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

Sinclair Expands The National News Desk

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

Paramount Settles Antitrust Lawsuit over WBD Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

U.S. Broadband Industry Investment Hits $92.6 Billion

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/09/2026

At AI Day Singapore, NVIDIA and Partners Showcase AI Advancements Across Southeast Asia

NVIDIA AI Day Singapore, which takes place Sept. 22-23 at the Raffles City Conve...

22/09/2026

NVIDIA Isaac ROS 5.0 Advances Agentic, Open Source Robotics Development

To build and deploy sophisticated robotics applications that can perceive, reason and act in dynamic environments, developers need new physical AI models and to...