Victory Sports Network

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The Minnesota Twins launched the Victory Sports Network as a cable and satellite television network in October 2003. Victory Sports primary sports content was going to be Minnesota Twins baseball games with secondary programming being various Minnesota college and high school coverage. ESPN News was simulcast at other times to round out the schedule.

The Minnesota Twins opted to retain the local broadcast rights for game broadcasts after the 2003 season (in order to carry the games on their own network) after carriage for many years on Midwest Sports Channel (now known as FSN North). However Victory Sports was initially unable to obtain carriage from the primary cable television providers in Minnesota and Direct Broadcast Satellite providers.

As the 2004 baseball season approached, Victory Sports was still without cable and direct satellite coverage. The ownership of the Minnesota Twins subsequently opted to return to Fox Sports North after outcry and criticism from the general public.

Professional sports team retention of local broadcast rights has been popular in recent years after successful launches of New England Sports Network (owned by Boston Bruins/Red Sox) and Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) (owned by New York Yankees and Goldman/Sachs). While a majority of teams operate a full time cable/satellite network, there are (Kansas City Royals owned RSTN) that syndicate their programming to local cable and over-the-air (OTA) television stations.

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