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NBC Sports Boston is an American
regional sports network In the United States and Canada, a regional sports network (RSN) is a cable television channel (many of which are also distributed on direct broadcast satellite services) that presents sports programming to a local market or geographical region. ...
owned by the
NBC Sports Group NBC Sports Group is a division of NBCUniversal that is responsible for NBC Sports' media properties, encompassing the NBC television network's sports division as well as day-to-day operation of the company's sports-oriented cable networks and oth ...
unit of
NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primari ...
, and operates as an affiliate of
NBC Sports Regional Networks NBC Sports Regional Networks is the collective name for a group of regional sports networks in the United States that are primarily owned and operated by the NBCUniversal division of the cable television company Comcast. The networks were origina ...
. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional sports events throughout
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
with a major focus on
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
area teams, as well as several original analysis, magazine and entertainment programs. It is available on
cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
providers throughout
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
, eastern and central
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
,
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
,
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
and
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
; it is also available nationwide on
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
via
DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It ...
. NBC Sports Boston, along with
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
owned and operated
WBTS-CD WBTS-CD (channel 15) is a Class A television station licensed to Nashua, New Hampshire, United States, broadcasting NBC programming to the Boston area. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside M ...
(channel 15),
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language Terrestrial television, terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a divi ...
O&O
WNEU WNEU (channel 60) is a television station licensed to Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language Telemundo network to the Boston area. It is owned and operated by NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group alongside ...
(channel 60), and
New England Cable News New England Cable News (NECN) is a regional 24-hour cable news television network owned and operated by NBCUniversal (as part of the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations division, both ultimately owned by Comcast) serving the New England regi ...
(NECN), are all based at the NBCU Boston Media Center on B Street in Needham.


History


Early history

NBC Sports Boston originally launched on November 6, 1981, as PRISM New England. A spin-off of the
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
-based film and sports-oriented premium service
PRISM Prism usually refers to: * Prism (optics), a transparent optical component with flat surfaces that refract light * Prism (geometry), a kind of polyhedron Prism may also refer to: Science and mathematics * Prism (geology), a type of sedimentary ...
, it was founded by that channel's parent company,
Spectacor Comcast Spectacor is a Philadelphia-based American sports and entertainment company. It owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League, the Phil ...
. Along with carrying entertainment programming, the network also served as the cable television home for the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's
Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
and the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
's
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, as well as various college sports teams. In late 1982, Spectacor sold PRISM New England to
Cablevision Systems Corporation Cablevision Systems Corporation was an American cable television company with systems serving areas surrounding New York City. It was the fifth-largest cable provider and ninth-largest television provider in the United States. Throughout its ex ...
. On January 1, 1983, the network was rebranded as SportsChannel New England, becoming the second network of what would become the
SportsChannel SportsChannel is the collective name for a former group of regional sports networks in the United States that was owned by Cablevision, which from 1988 until the group's demise, operated it as a joint venture with NBC. Operating from March 1, ...
group (after
SportsChannel New York MSG Sportsnet (visually branded on-air as MSGSN) is an American regional sports network owned by MSG Entertainment; it operates as a sister channel to MSG Network. The network serves the New York City metropolitan area, whose reach expands to cov ...
). In addition, to the Celtics and Whalers, Cablevision added select New York area sports telecasts to the network which were produced by SportsChannel New York.


As a Fox Sports Net outlet

On June 30, 1997,
News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...
and
Liberty Media Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company controlled by chairman John C. Malone. The company has three divisions, reflecting the company's ownership stakes in Formula One ...
– which had created a new group of regional sports networks, branded as
Fox Sports Net Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by The Walt Disney Company on Mar ...
, in November 1996, through News Corporation's partial acquisition of the Liberty-owned
Prime Network Prime Sports (originally known as the Prime Sports Network (PSN), and also known as Prime Network or simply Prime) is the collective name for a former group of regional sports networks in the United States that were owned by Liberty Media, ope ...
– purchased a 40% interest in Cablevision's sports properties including the SportsChannel networks (as part of a deal that included partial ownership of
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
and its
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
and
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
team tenants, the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
and
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
). Cablevision, News Corporation and Liberty Media formed the venture National Sports Partners to run the owned-and-operated regional networks. As part of a gradual rebranding of most of the SportsChannel networks that began that month (the lone exception being
SportsChannel Florida Bally Sports Florida is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local sports coverage in the state of Florida, with a focus on professional sport ...
, which did not become an owned-and-operated outlet until 2000), SportsChannel New England officially rebranding as Fox Sports New England on January 28, 1998. That month,
MediaOne MediaOne Group, Inc. (Comcast MO Group, Inc.) was created by US WEST Inc, one of the original Baby Bells Regional Bell Operating Companies, acquisition of Boston-based Continental Cable and combined with its previously acquired Atlanta-based Wom ...
acquired a 50% interest in the network. However, despite the new name, it did not become an FSN affiliate at that time. The competing
New England Sports Network New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which owns a controlling 80% interest, and is the owner of Boston Red So ...
had been an affiliate of FSN since it launched and still had two years left in its affiliation agreement, blocking Fox Sports New England from actually carrying any FSN programming. While Fox had hoped to negotiate an early termination of this agreement, this did not happen. Instead Fox Sports New England did not become an FSN affiliate until January 1, 2000. Later that year, the channel was rebranded as Fox Sports Net New England, as part of a collective brand modification of the FSN networks under the "Fox Sports Net" banner. That year, AT&T Corp. bought MediaOne, including its stake in the network; in January 2001, AT&T proposed to sell the stake, along with its interest in seven other cable networks, in a filing with the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
. Comcast acquired the stake in November 2002 as part of its merger with
AT&T Broadband AT&T Broadband was AT&T's cable operations division. It was formed in 1999 when AT&T acquired the assets of TCI and renamed it to AT&T Broadband. The next year, AT&T Broadband acquired MediaOne as well and became the largest cable operations com ...
. The network's name was shortened to FSN New England in 2004, through the de-emphasis of the "Fox Sports Net" brand by the regional networks. In later years, the network carried selected
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
games in parts of Connecticut that were not served by
MSG Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is the sodium Salt (chemistry), salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a fl ...
or FSN New York (now
MSG Plus MSG Sportsnet (visually branded on-air as MSGSN) is an American regional sports network owned by MSG Entertainment; it operates as a sister channel to MSG Network. The network serves the New York City metropolitan area, whose reach expands to cov ...
), which then produced the games.


As a Comcast SportsNet outlet

In February 2005, Cablevision acquired News Corporation's interest in FSN New England, FSN New York, and
FSN Chicago Fox Sports Net Chicago (often branded as FSN Chicago) was an American regional sports network that was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and was owned by Cablevision for most of its history (from 1987 to 2005). News Corporation acquired a minori ...
in a trade deal in which Fox sold its interest in Madison Square Garden and the arena's NBA and NHL team tenants in exchange for acquiring sole ownership of FSN Florida,
FSN Ohio Bally Sports Ohio is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and is operated as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events in the state of Ohio, with a focus on professio ...
, and FSN's national programming and advertising division. Comcast retained its 50% stake in FSN New England, at the time, analysts speculated that Comcast would eventually acquire full control of the network for integration into its
Comcast SportsNet NBC Sports Regional Networks is the collective name for a group of regional sports networks in the United States that are primarily owned and operated by the NBCUniversal division of the cable television company Comcast. The networks were origina ...
group of regional sports networks. On April 30, 2007, Comcast announced that it would purchase Cablevision's stakes in FSN New England and
FSN Bay Area NBC Sports Bay Area (sometimes abbreviated as NBCS Bay Area) is an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between NBCUniversal and the San Francisco Giants, and operates as an affiliate of NBC Sports Regional Networks. Headquart ...
from Cablevision, giving it full ownership of FSN New England. The network was rebranded as Comcast SportsNet New England on October 1, 2007. CSN New England, along with the other Comcast SportsNet-branded networks, was revamped with a new logo and graphics package (similar to that first used by sister network Comcast SportsNet Bay Area after it dropped the FSN brand) in August 2008. With Comcast's acquisition of
NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primari ...
in 2011, Comcast SportsNet was also integrated into the new
NBC Sports Group NBC Sports Group is a division of NBCUniversal that is responsible for NBC Sports' media properties, encompassing the NBC television network's sports division as well as day-to-day operation of the company's sports-oriented cable networks and oth ...
, culminating with the addition of the
peacock logo The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) has used several corporate logos over the course of its history. The first logo was used in 1926 when the radio network began operations. Its most famous logo, the Peafowl, peacock, was first used in 1956 ...
and an updated graphics package to mirror that of its parent network. That year, the network reached an extension of their rights deal with the Boston Celtics that saw the team acquire a 20% equity stake in Comcast SportsNet New England. On August 6, 2014, satellite provider
Dish Network DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV. A ...
dropped Comcast SportsNet New England in a dispute over a proposed increase in
retransmission consent Retransmission consent is a provision of the 1992 United States Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act that requires cable operators and other multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to obtain permission from commercia ...
fees during carriage agreement negotiations. Comcast rebranded the network as NBC Sports Boston on October 2, 2017, as part of a larger rebranding of the Comcast SportsNet networks under the NBC Sports brand.


Programming


Sports coverage

NBC Sports Boston holds the regional cable television rights to the NBA's Boston Celtics (the only remaining sports property that has aired its games on the network since its launch in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
), the
New England Free Jacks The New England Free Jacks are a professional rugby union team in Major League Rugby (MLR) based in the Greater Boston area. They were announced in September 2018 and began to compete professionally in October 2018. They competed in their first ...
of the
Major League Rugby Major League Rugby (MLR or USMLR) is a professional rugby union competition and the top-level championship for clubs in North America. In the 2022 season it was contested by thirteen teams: twelve from the United States and one from Canada. Off ...
, the
Boston Cannons The Cannons Lacrosse Club are a professional men's field lacrosse team in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) . Formerly based in Boston, Massachusetts, they played in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) as the Boston Cannons from their inaugural 2001 sea ...
of
Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This was followed by a four-team playoff f ...
and the
Maine Celtics The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...
of the
NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
(which have aired its games on the network since the team's formation in 2011). Until 2012, Comcast SportsNet New England also carried programming distributed nationally by Fox Sports Networks in lieu of a regional FSN affiliate. This includes access to a variety of college sports, notably
Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
basketball games on various nights, as well as Saturday telecasts of
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
games from the Pac-12 and
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
s during their respective seasons. The channel also aired studio shows produced by Fox Sports Networks (such as ''
The Best Damn Sports Show Period ''The Best Damn Sports Show Period'' was an American sports television show that aired on Fox Sports Net and Comcast SportsNet. The show regularly featured irreverent and opinionated interviews with top athletes, coaches, celebrities, and entertai ...
'' and ''
FSN Final Score ''Final Score'' (formerly ''FSN Final Score'') is an American nightly sports news program that aired on Fox Sports Net. The program debuted on July 3, 2006 and aired at 10:30 p.m. local time Monday through Friday, with replays at various time ...
''), prior to the premiere of the network's own sports news program, ''SportsNet Central'', in December 2009. Comcast SportsNet New England, along with four other CSN networks, dropped FSN programming on August 1, 2012, after the NBC Sports Group could not reach a deal to continue carrying FSN programming. The network formerly carried games from the NHL's Hartford Whalers from its launch in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
until the team's relocation to
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
(as the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
) in
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
. The network also served as the television home of the
Boston Breakers The Boston Breakers were an American professional soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's ...
of the
United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
, broadcasting the team's games that were not nationally televised by ABC or ESPN for one season in 1983. The network also carried select
Hartford Wolf Pack The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the XL Center. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. After a ...
games from 1997 to 2006. The network formerly aired games for the
New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
first in the 2000s and became its exclusive television provider in 2010 until the pandemic shortened 2020 season when the Revolution moved its broadcasts in Boston on both CBS Affiliate
WBZ-TV WBZ-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, airing programming from the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent station WSBK-TV (channe ...
on select games and MyNetworkTV Affiliate
WSBK-TV WSBK-TV (channel 38) is an independent television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside CBS owned-and-operated station WBZ-TV (channel 4). Both stations share studios on So ...
on most games. For people in Rhode Island they will be offered by also MyNetworkTV
WPRI-TV WPRI-TV (channel 12) is a television station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to dual Fox/ CW affiliate WNAC-TV (channel 64) und ...
.


Current and former original programming

*
New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
games 2010-2020 * ''The Baseball Show'' (airs Sundays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. during baseball season) – Hosted by
Bob Neumeier Robert E. Neumeier (November 3, 1950 – October 23, 2021) was an American sportscaster for several Boston-area media outlets. He also appeared on NBC Sports, specializing in Thoroughbred racing. Early life Neumeier was born on November 3, 195 ...
with analysts
Lou Merloni Louis William Merloni (born April 6, 1971), nicknamed "Sweet Lou", is an American radio personality and a former Major League Baseball player. Merloni played for his hometown Boston Red Sox from – and again for part of 2003. He also played for t ...
,
Sean McAdam Sean McAdam may refer to: * Sean McAdam (journalist) Sean McAdam is a sports writer and author from the Boston area. He covers the Boston Red Sox for ''Boston Sports Journal'' and is a radio and television analyst and commentator. His first book ...
,
Dan Shaughnessy Dan Shaughnessy (born July 20, 1953) is an American sports writer. He has covered the Boston Red Sox for ''The Boston Globe'' since 1981. In 2016, he was given the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Shaughnessy is often refe ...
, and Steve Buckley, it is a call-in program featuring studio discussions, and opinions and comments from viewers and listeners about the latest issues regarding the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. Original host
Michael Felger Michael Alan Felger (born August 6, 1969) is a sports radio talk show host on WBZ-FM in Boston, co-hosting " Felger and Massarotti" with Tony Massarotti, a former columnist for the '' Boston Herald''. He is also a television host for NBC Sports Bo ...
left the program after committing to
WBZ-FM WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; t ...
(98.5) in August 2009 as the show was simulcast on WBZ competitor WEEI (850 AM) through 2010; it currently airs solely on NBC Sports Boston. A special edition of the program, ''The Basketball Show'', airs whenever the Boston Celtics are playing in the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
. * ''Celtics Now'' – Hosted by
Michael Holley Michael S. Holley (born February 26, 1970) is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the ''Boston Globe'', ''Chicago Tribune'', ''The Plain Dealer'', and '' Akron Beacon Jo ...
, a weekly studio show reviewing news involving the Boston Celtics from the previous week. * ''Cross Check'' (Tuesday nights during hockey season) – Hosted by Michael Felger and
Mike Milbury Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
, the show discusses all of the week's latest news on the
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
. Joe Haggerty and Bruins fourth line winger
Shawn Thornton Shawn Thornton (born July 23, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player of the National Hockey League (NHL). An enforcer throughout his career, he won two Stanley Cups with the Anaheim Ducks (2007) and the Boston Bruins (2011). ...
make weekly appearances. The show's signature segment is called "Fan or Fraud,” an on-the-street trivia segment in which Bruins fans are around the Boston area are asked questions about the team to determine if they are a true fan. * ''Early Edition'' (weeknights at 6:00 p.m.) – Hosted by Gary Tanguay, Trenni Kusnierek and Michael Felger, Early Edition combines hot takes and opinion, offering an unfiltered look at the best Boston sports topics of the day. * ''Boston Sports Tonight'' (weeknights at 9:00 p.m.) – Michael Holley, Tom Giles and Danielle Trotta meet fans at the cross-section of opinion, information and fun. The unique format provides immediate, real-time reactions to what's happening throughout the Boston sports world. * ''Best of Boston Sports Tonight'' (airs at various timeslots during weekdays and Saturdays) – Recap of the Best Moments from the network's nightly sports show centered on opinion, information and fun. * ''Sports Sunday'' (Sundays at 7:30 p.m.) – ''Sports Sunday'', a studio show hosted by Michael Felger, reviews the previous week in New England Sports. Panelists include Lou Merloni,
Bob Ryan Robert P. Ryan (born February 21, 1946) is an American sportswriter, formerly with ''The Boston Globe'', and author. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru, and is well known for his coverage of ...
,
Ron Borges Ron Borges is an American sportswriter for the Talk of Fame Network. He has previously written for ''The Boston Globe'', the ''Boston Herald'' and was a regular guest on '' The Mike Felger Show'', which aired on 890 ESPN radio until July 2008. Borg ...
, Michael Holley, Chris Gasper, Sean McAdam,
Cedric Maxwell Cedric Bryan Maxwell (born November 21, 1955) is an American retired professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and played a key role in two ...
,
Damon Amendolara Damon Lawrence Amendolara (born June 21, 1979) is the morning host (6a-10a ET) on the CBS Sports Radio Network, heard across North America. He was promoted to that time slot in March 2017. He previously worked as the evening host for WBZ-FM in Bos ...
, Tom E. Curran, Troy Brown, Ty Law and Kevin Paul Dupont. The program's "conference call" call-in segment features writers from across the United States discussing the national sports scene. * ''
The Toucher and Rich Show ''Toucher and Rich'' is a Marconi Award-winning morning radio show from 6 to 10 AM on The Sports Hub 98.5 WBZ-FM, in Boston, Massachusetts. The show first aired on June 5, 2006. On August 13, 2009, following the demise of WBCN, the show moved ...
'' (weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) – A simulcast of the weekday morning drive radio program from WBZ-FM, hosted by Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb. * '' Felger and Mazz'' (weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) – Debuting on November 14, 2011, it is a simulcast of the afternoon drive program from WBZ-FM, hosted by Michael Felger and
Tony Massarotti Anthony Ezio Massarotti (born October 28, 1967) is an American author and a former sportswriter for the ''Boston Herald'' and ''The Boston Globe''. He co-hosts a sports talk radio show, '' Felger & Mazz'', on 98.5 The Sports Hub with former '' ...
, with Jim Murray providing the day's headlines every 30 minutes. Former Patriots' tight end
Jermaine Wiggins Jermaine Wiggins (born January 18, 1975) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Georgia, and signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1999. Wiggins was also a member of the New England Patrio ...
co-hosted the program on Tuesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. as part of a segment called "Wiggy Tuesday" until August 2014. Contributors include ''
Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' sportswriter Chris Gasper (who appears in-studio on Fridays and during the football season), Paul Perillo (who discusses the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
on Thursdays),
Greg Bedard Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory (given name), Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled "Gregg (surname), Gregg") is also a surname. People with the name *Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple peopl ...
on Tuesdays (who appears during football season) and Bruins president
Cam Neely Cameron Michael Neely (born June 6, 1965) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Neely played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1983 to 1996. Nicknamed "'Bam ...
(who appears weekly during hockey season). * ''New England Tailgate'' (Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. during football season) – Hosted by
Gary Tanguay WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; t ...
with Fred Smerlas and
Steve DeOssie Steve Leonard DeOssie (born November 22, 1962) is a former American football linebacker and long snapper in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New York Jets and New England Patriots. He played college football a ...
as analysts, it is a weekly studio show featuring discussion and analysis on the New England Patriots. * ''Patriots Football Weekly'' (Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. during football season) – Hosted by writers/editors of the New England Patriots official newspaper, ''Patriots Football Weekly:'' Fred Kirsch, Andy Hart and Paul Perillo. * ''Quick Slants'' (Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. during football season) – An interactive football show that airs hosted by Tom E. Curran, answering questions about current events in the NFL via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
,
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
, and live chat.


Notable on-air staff


Current on-air staff

*
DJ Bean A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
- ''Boston Sports Tonight'' host * Bob Beers – hockey analyst (2009–present) * Marc Bertrand – ''Zolak and Bertrand'' * Abby Chin - Celtics studio host pregame and postgame (December 2020 – present) and former court-side reporter (2013-2020) * Tom E. Curran – Patriots Insider *
Michael Felger Michael Alan Felger (born August 6, 1969) is a sports radio talk show host on WBZ-FM in Boston, co-hosting " Felger and Massarotti" with Tony Massarotti, a former columnist for the '' Boston Herald''. He is also a television host for NBC Sports Bo ...
– Host of ''Arbella Early Edition'' and ''Felger and Mazz'' *
Chris Forsberg Christopher Forsberg (born April 6, 1982), is a self-taught, three-time Formula Drift Champion and Formula Drift World Champion race car driver from Doylestown, Pennsylvania who currently competes in the Formula Drift series in his Nissan Z (Z34 ...
-
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
Insider * Tom Giles - Anchor and Reporter *
Mike Gorman Michael Gorman (born November 24, 1945) is an American television play-by-play commentator for the Boston Celtics on NBC Sports Boston. Gorman also did play-by-play, alongside Fran Fraschilla, for NBC for basketball games during the 2016 Summ ...
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
play-by-play announcer (
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
–present) Connecticut Sun play-by-play announcer (2010–2011) *
Michael Holley Michael S. Holley (born February 26, 1970) is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the ''Boston Globe'', ''Chicago Tribune'', ''The Plain Dealer'', and '' Akron Beacon Jo ...
– ''Boston Sports Tonight'' host (2008–present) * Trenni Casey – Anchor and Reporter * Chris Mannix – Boston Celtics studio analyst *
Tony Massarotti Anthony Ezio Massarotti (born October 28, 1967) is an American author and a former sportswriter for the ''Boston Herald'' and ''The Boston Globe''. He co-hosts a sports talk radio show, '' Felger & Mazz'', on 98.5 The Sports Hub with former '' ...
– co-host of ''Felger and Mazz'' *
Lou Merloni Louis William Merloni (born April 6, 1971), nicknamed "Sweet Lou", is an American radio personality and a former Major League Baseball player. Merloni played for his hometown Boston Red Sox from – and again for part of 2003. He also played for t ...
– baseball analyst and fill-in ''UNO Sun Sports Tonight'' host (2009–present) *
Phil Perry Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician and a former member of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. He was also known for performing the opening song to Disney’s sitcom, ''Goof ...
- Patriots anchor/reporter *
Brian Scalabrine Brian David Scalabrine (born March 18, 1978), nicknamed the "White Mamba", is an American former professional basketball player who is currently a television analyst for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is als ...
– Boston Celtics commentator and analyst (2012–2013, 2014–present) *
John Tomase John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
- Red Sox reporter and analyst * Tim Welsh – Boston Celtics studio analyst *
Scott Zolak Scott David Zolak (born December 13, 1967) is an American broadcaster and former professional American football, football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the New England Patrio ...
– ''Zolak and Bertrand''


Former on-air staff

* Kay Adams - co-host, Quick Slants *
Dale Arnold Dale Everett Arnold (born March 27, 1956) is a New England sportscaster. He hosts Boston Bruins broadcasts on NESN and co-hosted talk radio shows on WEEI until his retirement from radio on March 12, 2021, announced the day before. He was the ...
- ''Sports Net Central'' (2008-2011) *
Upton Bell Upton P. Bell (born 1937) is an American former National Football League (NFL) executive, talk show host, and sports commentator. He is the son of former NFL commissioner Bert Bell and Broadway theatre actress Frances Upton. Football executive B ...
– Boston Breakers studio host (1983) * Don Blackburn – Hartford Whalers color commentator (1983–1986) * A. Sherrod Blakely - Celtics analyst *
Troy Brown Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and ki ...
– football analyst *
Gerry Cheevers Gerald Michael "Cheesie" Cheevers (born 7 December 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) between 1961 and 1980. Cheevers is best known for ...
– Hartford Whalers color commentator (1986–1995) *
Larry Collmus Larry Collmus (born October 13, 1966) is a Thoroughbred horse racing announcer. A native of Baltimore, Collmus has called at numerous racetracks around the country. He is the race caller for NBC Sports' coverage of the Triple Crown and Breeders' ...
– ''Racing From
Suffolk Downs Suffolk Downs is a former Thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The track opened in 1935 after being built by Joseph A. Tomasello for a cost of $2 million. It was sold in May 2017 to a developer who plans to crea ...
'' co-host *
Bob Cousy Robert Joseph Cousy (, born August 9, 1928) is an American former professional basketball player. Cousy played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time N ...
– Boston Celtics color commentator (1999–2008) *
Dalen Cuff Dalen (Dutch Low Saxon: ''Daoln'') is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Drenthe. Since 1998, Dalen has been part of the municipality of Coevorden. The village was first mentioned in the 12t ...
– ''Sports Net Central'' Anchor & Reporter *
Greg Dickerson Greg Dickerson is a Boston sportscaster who served as the Boston Celtics sideline reporter and co-host of ''Sports Tonight'' for Comcast SportsNet New England. Dickerson's career began in 1995 at WWTM in Worcester, Massachusetts and WBZ radio i ...
– Boston Celtics courtside reporter (
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
–2013), studio host (2001–2006) * Kyle Draper – Celtics studio host (2013–2020) and "Sports Sunday" host (2017–2020) * Evan Drellich – Red Sox reporter and analyst, co-host of ''The Baseball Show'' (2017–2019) *
Brad Feldman Brad Feldman (born 1967) is an American television/radio announcer, radio personality, and broadcasting executive. He is the radio play-by-play announcer for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Early life Feldman was born in Ha ...
– New England Revolution play-by-play announcer * Mike Fornes – Hartford Whalers play-by-play (1981–1984) *
John Forslund John Forslund is an American sports announcer who is the television play-by-play announcer of the Seattle Kraken. He had previously filled the same role for the Carolina Hurricanes and was with the team since 1991 (when the team was the Hartford W ...
– Hartford Whalers play-by-play (
1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
) *
Naoko Funayama Naoko Funayama (Japanese: 船山直子, ''Funayama Naoko'') is a Japanese American sportscaster, who currently works for the New England Revolution. She previously served as a rinkside reporter for Boston Bruins games on New England Sports Networ ...
– New England Revolution reporter * Bill Gardner – Hartford Whalers color commentator ( 1996–1997) * Mike Giardi - ''Sports Net Central'' anchor/reporter (2009-2018) * Joe Haggerty - Bruins analyst *
Tommy Heinsohn Thomas William Heinsohn (August 26, 1934 – November 9, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. He was associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcast ...
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
color commentator for Celtics games (
1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
) * André Lacroix – Hartford Whalers color commentator (1982–1983) *
Bob Lobel Robert "Bob" Lobel (born December 24, 1943) is a former sportscaster for WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts. He anchored the sports segments on the evening newscasts between Sunday and Thursday, and hosted the weekly programs ''Sports Final'' and ' ...
– Boston Celtics studio host (1989–1993) * Mike Lynch – Boston Celtics studio host (1993–1994) *
Paul Mariner Paul Mariner (22 May 1953 – 9 July 2021) was an English football player and coach. A centre forward during his playing days, Mariner began his career with Chorley. He became a professional player in 1973 with Plymouth Argyle, where he scored ...
– New England Revolution color commentator *
Donny Marshall Donny Marshall (born July 17, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Jersey Nets. He is currently a college basketball te ...
– Boston Celtics studio analyst, and color commentator for select Celtics' road games (2005–2013) * Carolyn Manno – ''Sports Net Central'' anchor/reporter (2009–2012) * Willie Maye – Boston Celtics courtside reporter (1996–2005), studio host (1994–1996) *
Sean McAdam Sean McAdam may refer to: * Sean McAdam (journalist) Sean McAdam is a sports writer and author from the Boston area. He covers the Boston Red Sox for ''Boston Sports Journal'' and is a radio and television analyst and commentator. His first book ...
– NBC Sports Boston baseball staff writer (2009-2016) *
Johnny McKenzie John Albert McKenzie (December 12, 1937 – June 9, 2018) was a Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey, hockey player and coach. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several seasons, most notably with the Boston Bruins, with ...
– Hartford Whalers color commentator (1981–1982) * Jessica Moran – Anchor and reporter (2009–2016, currently a news/sports reporter at WMUR) *
Bob Neumeier Robert E. Neumeier (November 3, 1950 – October 23, 2021) was an American sportscaster for several Boston-area media outlets. He also appeared on NBC Sports, specializing in Thoroughbred racing. Early life Neumeier was born on November 3, 195 ...
– ''SportsNet Central'' anchor/reporter (2010–2016) co-host The Baseball Show * Harvey Pack – ''Racing From Suffolk Downs'' co-host *
Rick Peckham Rick Peckham (born March 1955) is the retired play-by-play broadcaster for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team. Previously, Peckham had served as the play-by-play announcer for the Hartford Whalers from 1984 through 1995. He has also bro ...
– Hartford Whalers play-by-play (1984–1995) *
Daryl Reaugh Daryl Kevin "Razor" Reaugh (pronounced "Ray") (born February 13, 1965) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and now a broadcaster for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL), ''NHL on NBC'' and ''Hockey Night in Canada''. H ...
– Hartford Whalers color commentator ( 1995–1996) * Leah Secondo – Boston Celtics studio host (1997–1998) * Kayce Smith - ''Boston Sports Tonight'' co-host (2017–2018) * Gary Tanguay - Early Edition co-host * Danielle Trotta - Boston Sports Tonight co-host (2018–2020) * Kim Walden – Boston Celtics studio host (1996–1997) * Nicole Zaloumis – ''SportsNet Central'' anchor/reporter (2009–2012)


Other services


NBC Sports Boston HD

NBC Sports Boston HD is a high definition simulcast feed of NBC Sports Boston, which transmits in the
1080i 1080i (also known as Full HD or BT.709) is a combination of frame resolution and scan type. 1080i is used in high-definition television (HDTV) and high-definition video. The number "1080" refers to the number of horizontal lines on the screen. ...
resolution format. The simulcast feed broadcasts live
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
games, studio shows and original programming in high definition.


References


External links

* {{Navboxes, list1= {{Boston Celtics {{Hartford Whalers {{NBCUniversal {{Boston TV {{NBC Sports {{Springfield MA TV {{Providence TV {{Bangor TV {{Portland Maine TV {{Hartford/New Haven TV {{Champlain Valley TV {{U.S. regional sports networks {{SportsChannel America {{Fox Sports Networks {{NHL on SportsChannel America {{NBA on NBC
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
SportsChannel Fox Sports Networks Television stations in Connecticut Television stations in Massachusetts Television channels and stations established in 1981 1981 establishments in Massachusetts Companies based in Norfolk County, Massachusetts