Editing Fox Sports Networks (section)

===Beginnings===
[[File:Fox Sports Net building.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Former Fox Sports Net headquarters in Los Angeles]]

At the dawn of the cable television era, many regional sports networks (RSNs) vied to compete with the largest national sports network, [[ESPN]]. The most notable were the [[SportsChannel]] network, which first began operating in 1976 with the launch of the original SportsChannel (now [[MSG Sportsnet]]) in the New York City area and later branched out into channels serving Chicago and Florida; [[Prime Sports|Prime Network]], which launched in 1983 with Home Sports Entertainment (now [[Bally Sports Southwest]]) as its charter member network and later branched out onto the West Coast as "Prime Sports"; and SportSouth, an RSN operated by the [[Turner Broadcasting System]].

On October 31, 1995, [[News Corporation]], which ten years earlier launched the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]], a general entertainment [[terrestrial television|broadcast]] network that formed its own [[Fox Sports (United States)|sports division]] in 1994 with the acquisition of the television rights to the [[National Football Conference]] of the [[National Football League]], entered into a joint venture with [[Tele-Communications Inc.|TCI]]'s [[Liberty Media]], acquiring a 50% ownership interest in the company's Prime Sports affiliates Liberty in turn gained a stake in Fox's year-old cable channel [[FX (TV channel)|FX]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Fox and Liberty Outline Plans for New Cable Venture |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/1995/11/1/Sports-Media/Fox-AND-LIBERTY-OUTLINE-PLANS-FOR-NEW-CABLE-VENTURE.aspx?hl=Liberty%20Media&sc=1|website=[[Sports Business Journal]]|date=November 1, 1995|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Flint |first=Joe |date=1995-12-11 |title=Cabler FX considers sporting new image |url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/cabler-fx-considers-sporting-new-image-99130301/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> On July 3, 1996, News Corporation and Liberty Media/TCI announced that the Prime Sports networks would be rebranded under the new "Fox Sports Net" brand;<ref>{{cite news|title=Fox Gives New Name to Sports Alliance: Fox Sports NET|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/1996/07/3/Sports-Media/Fox-GIVES-NEW-NAME-TO-SPORTS-ALLIANCE-FOX-SPORTS-NET.aspx?hl=Prime%20Sports&sc=1|website=Sports Business Journal|date=July 3, 1996|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> the Prime Sports-branded affiliates were officially relaunched as Fox Sports Net on November 1 of that year.<ref>{{cite web |last=Umstead |first=R. Thomas |date=July 8, 1996 |title=Liberty Sports regionals will become Fox Sports net |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18535905.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145828/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18535905.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=April 7, 2015 |periodical=[[Multichannel News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fox Sports Net Debuts on Nov. 1|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23361533.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924191036/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23361533.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[The Columbian]]|date=September 13, 1996|access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fox Sports Net Announces Debut for November1|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/1996/09/13/Sports-Media/Fox-SPORTS-NET-ANNOUNCES-DEBUT-FOR-NOVEMBER-1.aspx?hl=Liberty%20Media&sc=1|website=Sports Business Journal|date=September 13, 1996|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> The first new network to come out of the partnership was [[Bally Sports Arizona|Fox Sports Arizona]] which launched on September 7, 1996, nearly two months before the existing networks would be rebranded.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fox Sports Arizona celebrates its 20th anniversary |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/fox-sports-arizona-celebrates-its-20th-anniversary |website=Fox Sports |access-date=22 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Edgy format benefits Fox Sports Net |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/124202765/ |access-date=23 June 2021 |work=Arizona Republic |date=July 23, 1998 |language=en}}</ref> That same year, Fox purchased SportSouth from Turner, and rebranded that network as [[Fox Sports South]] in January 1997.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/ac83f3219626cf9e121e525f7b80f9b6 Murdoch launches new network right under Turner’s nose]</ref>

On June 30, 1997, the Fox/Liberty joint venture purchased a 40% interest in [[Cablevision]]/[[NBC]]'s sports properties including the SportsChannel America networks, [[Madison Square Garden]], and the [[New York Knicks]] and [[New York Rangers]] professional sports franchises, a deal worth $850&nbsp;million; the deal formed the venture National Sports Partners to run Fox Sports Net's national programming operations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Form 10-Q Fox Sports Networks Inc 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] |url=https://sec.report/Document/0001017062-02-001001/d10q.txt |website=SEC Report |publisher=Fox Sports Networks, Inc. |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=February 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217184856/https://sec.report/Document/0001017062-02-001001/d10q.txt |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Form 10-K August 14, 2012 |url=https://sec.report/Document/0001193125-12-355856/d389171d10k.htm |publisher=News Corporation |access-date=17 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Form 10-K August 13, 2018 |url=https://sec.report/Document/0001564590-18-021493/fox-10k_20180630.htm |website=SEC Report |publisher=Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. |access-date=17 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Sports Programming AGR |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1708341/000168316819002657/brac_ex1021.htm |publisher=National Sports Programming/WPT Enterprises, Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=FSN Creates New Genre of Action Sports Programming |url=https://www.amcnetworks.com/press-releases/fsn-creates-new-genre-of-action-sports-programming/ |access-date=17 February 2022 |publisher=AMC Networks International |date=October 21, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fox putting together national Sports Net // Changes ahead for SportsChannel|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4383098.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194306/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4383098.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=June 24, 1997|access-date=April 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Higgins |first=John M. |author-link=John M. Higgins |date=June 30, 1997 |title=National net keys regional deal. (Fox Sports, Liberty Media Corp. challenge ESPN with stake in SportsChannel) |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19555907.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910170418/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19555907.html |archive-date=September 10, 2015 |access-date=April 7, 2015 |periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sports Landscape Altered with Fox/Liberty-Cablevision Deal |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/1997/06/23/Sports-Media/SPORTS-LANDSCAPE-ALTERED-WITH-FoxLIBERTY-CABLEVISION-DEAL.aspx?hl=FSN%20Chicago&sc=0|website=Sports Business Journal|date=June 23, 1997|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Higgins |first=John M. |author-link=John M. Higgins |date=June 23, 1997 |title=TCI/News Corp. $850M SportsChannel deal close. (Tele-Communications Inc, proposed acquisition of cable sports network) |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19587405.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910170423/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19587405.html |archive-date=September 10, 2015 |access-date=April 7, 2015 |periodical=Broadcasting & Cable}}</ref> In early 1998, SportsChannel America was integrated into the Fox Sports Net family of networks; SportsChannel Florida, however, remained as the lone SportsChannel America-branded network before it joined FSN as well in 2000 after News Corporation and Cablevision purchased [[Florida Panthers]] owner [[Wayne Huizenga]]'s controlling interest in that network.<ref>{{cite web |last=Donohue |first=Steve |date=November 15, 1999 |title=Rainbow, Fox Deal for Florida Net |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57634827.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924160112/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-57634827.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=April 7, 2015 |periodical=[[Multichannel News]]}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| header            = Former Fox Sports Networks logos
| header_align      = left/right/center
| header_background = 
| footer            = 
| footer_align      = left/right/center
| footer_background = 
| width             = 
| image1            = Fox Sports Net logo 1996.png
| width1            = 140
| caption1          = FSN logo from 1996 to 1999
| image2            = Fox-Sports-Net-Logo.jpg
| width2            = 140
| caption2          = FSN logo from 1999 to 2004
| image3            = Fox Sports Net (logo).png
| width3            = 140
| caption3          = FSN "pillbox" logo from 2004 until 2008 (remained in use until 2011 by networks that would become part of [[Root Sports]])
| image4            = FSN Logo.svg
| width4            = 140
| caption4          = FSN logo from 2008 to 2012
 <!-- Commented out:| image5   =Fox Sports logo.svg
| width5   =140
| caption5 =Alternate FSN logo from 2008 to 2012, adopted from the parent [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports division]]-->}}