What Space City Home Network does

Space City Home Network (SCHN) is a regional sports television network and direct-to-consumer streaming operator headquartered in Houston, Texas. The network is operated under a joint venture between the Houston Astros (MLB) and the Houston Rockets (NBA) following the September 30, 2023 acquisition of AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery. SCHN holds exclusive local broadcast rights to both franchises, plus the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and airs more than 220 live games per year across its five-state Southwest territory (Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and eastern New Mexico).

The product surface consists of three layers: the core linear SCHN channel, an alternate overflow channel (SCHN2) used when Astros and Rockets games air simultaneously, and the SCHN+ direct-to-consumer streaming platform launched in December 2025 and built by ViewLift. SCHN+ provides authenticated, pay-TV-gated live and on-demand access across web, mobile, and connected-TV devices. Original programming includes Rockets All Access, the weekly magazine show Astros Bases Loaded, and Los Astros Spanish-language telecasts.

The business generates revenue through three primary streams: linear advertising (sold by an in-house team against uncluttered inventory with breaks capped at 2:00), pay-TV carriage fees from cable, satellite, and vMVPD affiliates, and subscription revenue from SCHN+. Distribution is brokered through a wide pay-TV stack including DirecTV, Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, Astound, fuboTV, and DIRECTV Stream. Audience ratings show Houston Astros Baseball ranked #1 in Households, Adults 25-54, and Men 25-54 during Summer Prime Time on SCHN. The company is private, has 51-100 employees, and does not disclose revenue or funding.

Name

Space City Home Network

Legal name

SportsNet Southwest, LLC d/b/a Space City Home Network

Website

https://spacecityhn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Space City Home Network is a Houston-based regional sports network, jointly owned by the Houston Astros and Rockets, that broadcasts more than 220 live MLB and NBA games annually across a five-state Southwest territory via linear TV, the SCHN2 overflow channel, and the SCHN+ streaming platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Linear TV Advertising: Sells in-game and surrounding commercial inventory across SCHN and SCHN2; sold by an in-house ad sales team with uncluttered breaks (no longer than 2:00) targeting regional brands seeking appointment-viewing live sports audiences.
2. Affiliated / Pay-TV Carriage Fees: Distribution revenue from cable, satellite, and vMVPD providers carrying SCHN and SCHN2 to subscribers in the 5-state Southwest territory; requires a valid pay-TV subscription to access.
3. SCHN+ Direct-to-Consumer Streaming: Streaming access bundled behind authenticated pay-TV subscription, with auto-renewing paid subscriptions governed by SCHN Terms of Service; transactional revenue flows to Space City Home Network as operator.
4. League Broadcast Rights (Astros & Rockets): Exclusive local/regional TV rights holder for Houston Astros (MLB) and Houston Rockets (NBA), plus regional rights for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; supports content moat that underwrites advertising and carriage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Space City Home Network operates a regional sports television network that is the exclusive local TV home of the Houston Rockets (NBA) and Houston Astros (MLB), broadcasting more than 220 live games per year across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and eastern New Mexico via cable, satellite, and vMVPD partners. It distributes linear channels SCHN and SCHN2, runs an in-house advertising sales business targeting regional brands, and operates the SCHN+ direct-to-consumer streaming platform for authenticated live and on-demand viewing.

Product overview

Space City Home Network (SCHN) operates as an integrated regional sports broadcasting platform comprising a core 24-hour linear TV channel (SCHN), an alternate overflow channel (SCHN2) for simultaneous game coverage, and a direct-to-consumer OTT streaming service (SCHN+). The main SCHN channel and SCHN2 are distributed via cable, satellite, and OTT providers across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and eastern New Mexico, while SCHN+ extends reach to authenticated and direct subscribers via web and mobile apps. Original content modules under the platform umbrella include Rockets All Access, Astros Bases Loaded, and Spanish-language Los Astros telecasts, all centered on coverage of the Houston Rockets (NBA) and Houston Astros (MLB), with the network itself a joint venture between the two teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCHN+: Streaming platform offering live sports coverage (Houston Rockets, Astros, Rodeo events), on-demand content, and broad device support. Developed by ViewLift and launched in December 2025.
• SCHN2

Products and services

• SCHN (Space City Home Network) A 24-hour regional sports television network and the exclusive local TV home of the Houston Rockets (NBA) and Houston Astros (MLB), broadcasting more than 220 live games per year plus exclusive behind-the-scenes team content, original programming, and regional high-school and collegiate sports coverage across a 5-state Southwest territory.
• SCHN2 (Space City Home Network Alternate Channel) An overflow/alternate linear channel that broadcasts simultaneous live games when Astros and Rockets games overlap with the main SCHN schedule, allowing both teams to be aired live locally in the Southwest.
• SCHN+ Streaming Platform A direct-to-consumer streaming platform built by ViewLift and launched in December 2025, offering live sports coverage of the Houston Rockets, Astros, and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo events plus on-demand content, with broad device support (web, mobile apps, connected TV) and authenticated pay-TV access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Houston Astros Baseball rated #1 in Households, Adults 25-54, and Men 25-54 in Summer Prime Time
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ViewLiftflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2025ViewLift developed the SCHN+ streaming platform launched in December 2025. The platform delivers live and on-demand Astros, Rockets, and Rodeo content with broad device support (mobile, web, connected TV) and authenticated pay-TV access, helping SCHN move into DTC streaming on top of its pay-TV distribution.
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (RODEOHOUSTON)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2025Multi-year broadcast partnership to air RODEOHOUSTON on Space City Home Network, beginning with the 2025 event running March 4-23 at NRG Stadium. The partnership makes SCHN the TV home for the iconic Houston rodeo alongside its Astros and Rockets coverage.
• Houston Astros (MLB franchise / joint-venture owner)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2023The Houston Astros co-own Space City Home Network as part of the joint venture (with the Houston Rockets) that acquired AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery effective September 30, 2023. The Astros are one of SCHN's two flagship content partners, providing exclusive local TV rights to more than 155 regular-season games plus original programming like Astros Bases Loaded.
• Houston Rockets (NBA franchise / joint-venture owner)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2023The Houston Rockets co-own Space City Home Network as part of the joint venture (with the Houston Astros) that acquired AT&T SportsNet Southwest from Warner Bros. Discovery effective September 30, 2023. The Rockets are SCHN's other flagship content partner, providing exclusive local TV rights to all 82 regular-season games plus behind-the-scenes content.
• fuboTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 February 2019fuboTV carries SCHN and SCHN2 across the Southwest television territory, providing vMVPD/streaming access for fans who do not subscribe to traditional cable or satellite. SCHN encourages out-of-market fans to contact fuboTV or DIRECTV Stream to add the network.
• DIRECTV StreamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 February 2019DIRECTV Stream carries SCHN and SCHN2 as a vMVPD option across the Southwest; the carrier notes that not all games are available on DIRECTV Stream when there is a scheduling conflict.
• Xfinity (Comcast)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorXfinity distributes SCHN on channels 39 and 639 HD, and SCHN2 on channel 710, across its Southwest cable footprint.
• AT&T U-versecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAT&T U-verse carries SCHN on channels 758 and 1758 HD, and SCHN2 on channels 697 and 1697 HD across the SCHN region.
• DirecTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirecTV distributes SCHN on channel 674 and SCHN2 on channel 674-1 to satellite subscribers in the Southwest region.
• Astound (formerly EnTouch)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAstound Broadband (formerly EnTouch) carries SCHN on channels 73 and 473 HD, and SCHN2 on channels 82 and 482 HD.
• btelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorbtel carries SCHN on channel 31 HD and SCHN2 on channel 331.
• GVTC TVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGVTC TV distributes SCHN on channel 28 to its subscribers in the SCHN territory.
• I-NetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorI-Net carries SCHN on channel 98 and SCHN2 on channel 99 in the SCHN territory.
• PhonoscopeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhonoscope distributes SCHN on channel 624 and SCHN2 on channel 625.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marquee Sports Network: Joint-venture RSN owned by the Chicago Cubs (and later Sinclair) carrying Cubs (MLB) regional broadcasts. Same team-owned RSN model and MLB regional rights structure as SCHN's Astros coverage, with parallel advertising and DTC monetization.
• FanDuel Sports Network (Main Street Sports Group): Operates the largest portfolio of U.S. regional sports networks (formerly Bally Sports) carrying MLB, NBA, and NHL teams. Closest direct peer to SCHN: same regional sports network business model built on linear TV ad sales, pay-TV carriage fees, and growing DTC streaming for live local sports.
• YES Network: Regional sports network carrying New York Yankees (MLB) and Brooklyn Nets (NBA) games, structured as a team-affiliated joint venture. Same dual-franchise MLB+NBA regional rights model as SCHN, with overlapping advertising and DTC streaming strategy.
• NESN (New England Sports Network): Joint venture owned by the Boston Red Sox (MLB) and Boston Bruins (NHL) that distributes regional coverage of both franchises. The closest structural analog to SCHN as a team-owned RSN holding exclusive local rights for two flagship franchises in a major metro.
• SportsNet LA: Team-owned RSN carrying Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) regional broadcasts. Same exclusive regional MLB rights structure as SCHN, though concentrated on a single franchise rather than a dual-franchise combination.
• Monumental Sports Network: Team-owned regional sports network carrying Washington Wizards (NBA), Capitals (NHL), and other Monumental Sports properties. Directly comparable team-affiliated RSN operating live local sports with vMVPD distribution and authenticated streaming.

Others

• fuboTV: Sports-first OTT/vMVPD that distributes SCHN and SCHN2 to subscribers and also competes for sports subscribers directly. Channel partner and ecosystem adjacency directly relevant to SCHN's distribution strategy and audience reach.

Emerging players

• NBA League Pass: NBA's direct-to-consumer streaming service for out-of-market NBA games. Comparable streaming-based model and potential substitute for Houston Rockets fans outside the SCHN territory.
• MLB.TV (MLB Advanced Media): MLB's direct-to-consumer streaming service offering out-of-market games nationally. Adjacent streaming competitor and an existential alternative to SCHN's regional rights for Astros fans living outside the Southwest footprint.

Broad incumbents

• NBC Sports Regional Networks: Previously operated a portfolio of regional sports networks (e.g., NBC Sports Chicago, Philadelphia, California, Bay Area) carrying NBA, MLB, and NHL teams. Larger-scale incumbent RSN operator with overlapping business model and broader geographic footprint than SCHN.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SpaceCityHN
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpaceCityHN
• Instagraminstagram.com/spacecityhn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spacecityhomenetwork

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Space City Home Network