Houston RSN rebrands under ‘Space City’ name

The network formerly known as AT&T SportsNet Southwest has introduced a new name under a new set of owners.

The channel changed its name Oct. 3, 2023, to “Space City Home Network.”

The change is part of a deal that saw Houston’s MLB team the Astros and its NBA team the Rockets become owners of the channel, acquiring it from Warner Bros. Discovery.

“Space City” is a reference to Houston’s major role in the aerospace industry, including serving as home to NASA Johnson Space Center, a facility that is home to mission control for many human spaceflights.

Including the words “Home Network” is a bit unusual and is likely meant to emphasize the local nature of the network and that it is host to the city’s “home” teams.

For a logo, the network went with a narrow, italic sans serif that suggests the notion of speed. In the middle of the “S” is a star-shaped icon with its left arm elongated, another nod to the idea of movement. The logotype also has a distinct tip inside of the “A” that, instead of coming to a point, flares out slightly.

In most lockups, “Home Network” is place below the last two letters of “Space” and the word “City” in a yellow that matches the star icon. It uses a matching font.

Some initial promos for the network feature black backgrounds with oversized monochrome Astros and Rockets logos accents with yellow laser lines set at various angles. 

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Initial marketing also uses the tagline “Mission control for Houston sports,” another reference to aerospace.

While the channel largely features Houston-based sports, it is also available in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

The name of the network has been known since at least August 2023, when local station KHOU found out that a trademark application had been filed for the name. The teams confirmed the new name Sept. 29, 2023.

RSNs like AT&T’s SportsNet properties have been facing a unique set of challenges. Many RSNs would likely be interested in expanding into streaming, but often various limitations don’t allow that, meaning they are largely reliant on ad dollars and retransmission fees, both of which are heavily tied to linear TV.

Viewership is also dipping while rights fees are increasing, meaning the networks are less attractive from a financial standpoint. 

WBD has been in the process of selling off most of its regional sports networks. NBCUniversal sold its Washington, D.C., RSN in 2022 and the network recently relaunched as Monumental Sports Network. Bally Sports parent Diamond Sports Group, which is a joint venture between Entertainment Studios and Sinclair Broadcast Group filed for bankruptcy in March 2023.