NESN sports to be part of standard cable TV package

By Associated Press

BOSTON - AT&T Broadband, Massachusetts' largest cable television provider, and sports channel NESN reached a deal after months of negotiations that puts Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games in the standard cable package.

Cable subscribers, beginning July 1, will no longer pay an extra $10 to $12 for NESN, but all of AT&T's 1.5 million subscribers in the Boston area and southern New Hampshire will see a $1.40-a-month rate increase.

For Boston customers, standard cable rates will rise from $38.45 to $39.95.

AT&T serves more than 200 Massachusetts communities. With the new deal, NESN now reaches 3.6 million homes in New England.

About 90 percent of subscribers will see NESN in the standard package starting July 1, and pay the corresponding rate increase, said AT&T Broadband spokesman Richard D. Jenkinson. The rest of the conversion will be completed closer to Aug. 1.

Jenkinson said the move, agreed to Wednesday night, will be revenue-neutral for AT&T.

AT&T owns the former Cablevision and Continental Cablevision franchises in Massachusetts, as well as move of the ex-Time Warner community cable networks here.

Privately held NESN is jointly owned by the Red Sox and Bruins, who last year bought out the stake formerly owned by Viaco, owner of Boston TV station UPN-38.

''We're very happy. It's been a long time coming,'' said James P. Healey the Red Sox vice president of broadcasting and special projects.

NESN is the last of 23 regional sports channels around the country to complete the move from being a special premium channel to being included in all local standard cable packages in its viewing region, said NESN spokesman John Slattery.

Besides broadcasting 90 Red Sox games and 55 National Hockey league Bruins games each season, NESN carries the minor-league Pawtucket Red Sox, Providence Bruins, local and national college hockey, football, baseball and basketball, and a morning sports news report.

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