TELESIDE, U.S.A. — When this website started in 1998, if you wanted to see a field hockey or women’s lacrosse game, you were pretty much limited to what were called “the regional sports networks,” a collection of outlets covering pro and college teams that spread nationwide.
The RSNs had a kaleidoscope of names: Home Team Sports, Prime Network, Madison Square Garden, PRISM, and PASS. Most, however, were affiliated with Fox Sports and took the name of a city or region, such as Fox Sports New York, or Fox Sports South.
But as the rights to college sports went to larger players like ESPN, Paramount, and Flo Sports, and the rights to major-league sports were moved in-house like MLS and MLB, the importance of RSNs waned.