NESN launches free streaming channel with ancillary sports coverage
The channel, NESN Nation, is already offered on The Roku Channel, Plex and Amazon-owned platforms.
The New England Sports Network (NESN) has rolled out a new free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel that pledges more than 30 hours of live and original programming every week.
The channel, called NESN Nation (stylized as NESN NATION), will include coverage of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins, Liverpool FC, the Ontario Hockey League and women’s professional and college sports, among others. Shoulder programming will include team press conferences, game analysis, sports betting shows and documentaries.
“Given sports fans unwavering demand for their favorite teams, we’re excited to expand our portfolio with our first FAST national channel that provides easy access to both our globally recognized brands, as well as our award-winning content,” David Wisnia, the President and CEO of NESN, said in a statement. “NESN Nation will deliver a range of new, live and original programming and further our mission to provide a multitude of ways for fans to engage with our must-see content.”
It wasn’t clear from a press release issued by NESN this week if regular-season games from the Red Sox or the Bruins will be offered through the channel, or if NESN will continue to relegate those events to its regional sports channel on cable and satellite platforms. However, the network did say that some spring training games from the Red Sox will be available, as will pregame “skates” from the Bruins.
Six Athletics Unlimited women’s basketball games will also air live on the streaming channel, as will several original shows like “Unobstructed Views” and “Hockey Chowdah.”
NESN Nation is already streaming on Plex, Amazon’s Twitch, Prime Video and The Roku Channel, and will land on Samsung’s FAST service, Samsung TV Plus, in the coming weeks. NESN partnered with AMC Networks for the development and launch of the channel.
NESN is one of the few regional sports networks to launch a FAST channel in recent years. The Walt Disney Company’s ESPN, Comcast’s NBC Sports, Paramount Global’s CBS Sports and Fox Sports all have FAST channels, including NBC Sports, NBC GolfPass, CBS Golazo Network, CBS Sports HQ, Fox Sports and ESPN 8 The Ocho.
