Bright House Sports Network

Bright House Sports Network
(Bright House cable only)
St. Petersburg/Orlando, Florida
Branding Bright House Sports Network
Slogan "The Local Sports Leader"
Channels Digital: cable 47
Owner Bright House Networks
Founded 2004
Website bhsn.com

Bright House Sports Network is a 24-hour regional sports network in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida areas. The station began in the Tampa Bay region in 2004 and is owned by Bright House Networks, seen exclusively on their systems on cable TV channel 47.[1]

Contents

[hide]

History

The channel was originally established as Catch 47 (after its cable slot); the channel switched to its current name in September 2008. Also around this time, the channel was expanded to Bright House's Central Florida systems, covering areas surrounding Orlando.

Programming

Programs include "The Toyota Sports Connection," a nightly show featuring scores, highlights and interviews, "Hooked on Fishing",and "Average Angler Adventures".

Prior to 2010, the station aired: "Press Box", "Xtra Point", "Lightning Strikes" with host Joe Girvan, "The Baysball Show", "Beef 'O' Brady's High School Scoreboard". The station also airs basketball, baseball, and softball games of the University of South Florida, as well as baseball games in the Florida State League. Bright House Sports Network also broadcasted most home games and an occasional road games of the Arena Football League's Tampa Bay Storm before the 2009 folding of the league. The announcing team for Storm games generally consists of Drew Fellios and former NFL punter Mark Royals.

In late 2008 the station used its expanded coverage within the Central Florida market to start televising basketball and football games of the University of Central Florida. The first few games were rebroadcasts from Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) and the CBS College Sports Network, however on January 6, 2009 Bright House Sports Network produced their first UCF Basketball Game against the College of the Holy Cross. Bright House Networks is also the sponsor of UCF's on campus stadium, Bright House Networks Stadium. Bright House Sports Network is the official home of Florida Championship Wrestling, the farm system for World Wrestling Entertainment, which airs at 6:00pm on Sunday nights.

In addition, Bright House Sports Network also airs nationwide sports programs from sources such as ESPN Plus and America One; during the overnight hours, it simulcasts ESPNEWS (which is available in full to digital subscribers).

Programming on other channels

On March 25, 2007, SportsNet New York (a similar regional sports network in the New York metropolitan area) re-aired then-Catch 47's coverage of a Storm-New York Dragons game from two days earlier. SNY opted to broadcast the game straight from the Catch 47 broadcast, neither editing any part of the coverage (aside from commercials), nor dubbing the game with SNY's own announcers.

References

External links