Empire Sports Network
| Empire Sports Network | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | December 31, 1990 |
| Closed | March 7, 2005 |
| Network | Prime Network (1990–1996) |
| Owned by | Adelphia Communications Corporation |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area |
Upstate New York Nationwide (via satellite) |
| Headquarters | West Seneca, New York |
| Replaced by |
MSG Spectrum Sports (New York) |
| Website | www |
Empire Sports Network was an American regional sports network that was owned by the Adelphia Communications Corporation. The network was available on cable providers in much of upstate New York (stretching from Buffalo to Albany), as well as parts of northern Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The network ceased operations on March 7, 2005, in the midst of Adelphia's financial collapse and bankruptcy.
Empire Sports Network launched on December 31, 1990; its first broadcast that evening was a National Hockey League game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Philadelphia Flyers. Founded by John Rigas (founder and chief executive officer of network parent Adelphia Communications), the idea for Empire Sports was first conceived in 1989; Rigas decided to operate the new network in Buffalo, instead of in Adelphia's corporate homebase of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, a rural borough dozens of miles away from the nearest major sports teams. Originally broadcasting as a part-time service for four hours each night from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., the network originally carried games from the Sabres (carrying locally televised games not broadcast on Fox affiliate WUTV (channel 29), which carried the team's games under a separate contract), the Buffalo Bisons of the International League and Major League Baseball games from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Wikipedia