What happened to CSN?

[Alleyoopster]

Watching the preseason Celtics games I (and everyone else) noticed that CSN is now NBC Boston Sports. I wondered to myself...why the change? Did NBC buyout CSN rights. (I had forgotten Comcast owns NBC.)

Did a Google search and came up with article written last spring that is applicable to what's happening in Boston. 
http://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nbc-csn-bay-area-rebrand-rsns.html

A couple tidbits of info from the article. 
" “The re-branded name allows us to better associate the prestigious NBC Sports legacy with the strength of our Comcast Sports Networks’ local sports coverage in Northern California....."

"....but many have wondered why they haven’t switched to the NBC brand before this, given how Comcast acquired NBC Universal in 2011. The NBC brand certainly has more national recognition, and while there’s been a lot of work on integrating NBC, NBCSN and the CSNs since that acquisition, the old Comcast branding has stuck around until now."

"Some in the industry argued that keeping “Comcast” or “CSN” was beneficial for improving the perception of the Comcast brand (understandable, considering how many mostly complain about cable companies). However, by the same token, that Comcast brand leads to more negative associations than NBC does, and NBC is certainly more known for its sports coverage...."

Couldn't agree more about the negative associations regarding Comcast. The brand name connotes an overpriced, monopolistic striving corporation that sticks it to us sports fans any way it can. In my experience, whether you have Comcast or Verizon you must buy a sports package just to watch the Celtics. Or, subscribe to an NBA.com package...which can be costly.     

[ChillyWilly]

You can get NBA TV but if you live in a package range you get blacked out so unfortunately people like me who refuse to get a cable or Directv bundle just to watch a game can't.

I'd pay $120 a year to watch Celtics but not $120/m to do it. The extra 5902738754 channels do nothing for me.

As for NBC being the brand doesn't matter to me I like the crew they have covering the Cs.

[Roy H.]

Whatever the name, they still employ most of the same inane talking heads. Keep Mike, Tommy, Scal and toss the rest.

[KGs Knee]

Well, if it makes the Celtics' ownership group more money, as shareholders in the local network, good for them.  Just make sure you spend that money on the luxury tax, Wyc.

[jdz101]

Whatever the name, they still employ most of the same inane talking heads. Keep Mike, Tommy, Scal and toss the rest.

.

I agree that a lot of the desk guys that CSN has are pretty awful.

With that said, as an announcer, Tommy Heinsohn was well and truly cooked at least 5 years ago.

Some of the stuff he comes up with now is borderline laughable. The Aron Baynes shower line being one example.

The special comments guy should be providing well thought-out analysis like Scal does, not rambling like a grumpy old man, which is unfortunately what we are reduced to with Tommy at this point.

[Beat LA]

Whatever the name, they still employ most of the same inane talking heads. Keep Mike, Tommy, Scal and toss the rest.

.

I agree that a lot of the desk guys that CSN has are pretty awful.

With that said, as an announcer, Tommy Heinsohn was well and truly cooked at least 5 years ago.

Some of the stuff he comes up with now is borderline laughable. The Aron Baynes shower line being one example.

The special comments guy should be providing well thought-out analysis like Scal does, not rambling like a grumpy old man, which is unfortunately what we are reduced to with Tommy at this point.

Scal is atrocious in the booth and on the pregame show.  All he does is yell "move the ball side to side" and "pick and roll" all the time, tries to make everything dramatic, has no timing, and offers nothing of value, imo.  At least Mike is still there, and is the line about Baynes in the shower on YouTube?  I missed the game, so yeah.  At least Tommy's hilarious.

[hodgy03038]

Whatever the name, they still employ most of the same inane talking heads. Keep Mike, Tommy, Scal and toss the rest.

Don't toss Abby! Remember who we had before her? He was terrible.