New York sports fans, if your beloved Knicks and Rangers have been the only thing keeping you tethered to a traditional TV subscription, it might be time to cut the cord. On Wednesday, MSG Networks announced the initial details of their forthcoming direct-to-consumer (DTC), in-market streaming service MSG+. The long-in-the-works streamer was most recently pushed from a spring launch, but is now set to debut over the summer.

TBD

MSG+, which will only be available for in-market customers, will cost $29.99 a month or $309.99 a year. With it, you will get live coverage of games from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres (depending on your market), along with 24/7 live feeds of MSG Network and MSG SportsNet.

However, given that the primary draw of the platform is the live NBA and NHL games, subscribing just for the seven months of those regular seasons (October through April) would cost just $209.93 if paid monthly. MSG+ will carry live sports, events, and programming that is available in viewers’ specific areas from across the MSG Networks.

If you aren’t able to watch games live as often as you would like, making a full subscription not worth the cost, MSG+ will also allow fans to stream individual games for $9.99 per matchup, the first time that a regional sports network (RSN) has made that possible; although Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s Bally Sports+ has previously floated the idea.

In comparison, Bally Sports+ costs $19.99/mo or $189.99/year (up to $29.99/mo. in some markets), while NESN360, which carries Red Sox and Bruins games, is $29.99/mo. or $319.99/year.

Upon launch, in addition to providing OTT subscriptions, they will also provide free access to existing cable and satellite subscribers to MSG+, which will replace the MSG GO App. The main benefit to this is customers will be able to stream not only on mobile devices and tablets, but also on connected TV devices.

The company also shared more on MSG SportsZone, the company’s new free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel that gives viewers an option to watch MSG non-game content at no cost. MSG SportsZone is expanding to more platforms, having recently launching on VIZIO WatchFree+, after its debut on Plex.

“The introduction of MSG+ this summer will be a significant milestone for our company and will offer a mix of subscription options for fans who do not subscribe to a traditional, bundled pay television subscription,” MSG Networks president and CEO Andrea Greenberg said. “MSG+ will also provide significant value for our participating traditional distribution partners by offering access at no additional cost to their subscribers who receive our networks. In addition, we are pleased to introduce MSG SportsZone, a new platform that expands our reach nationally and provides us additional opportunities to monetize our archive and other non-game content.”

New features coming to the streamer include live betting odds integrated into the programming, personalized offers for subscribers, and broader availability on devices including mobile, connected TVs, and smart TVs. The company will release additional details about the service ahead of the summer launch, but fans can sign up for updates at msgplus.tv.

Fortunately, while MSG’s streaming service isn’t quite ready, there are options for in-market streaming for fans in New York, but they aren’t cheap. For in-market customers, MSG and MSGSN are available to stream on both DIRECTV STREAM — as part of its $99.99 per month CHOICE package — and fuboTV — as part of its $88.98 per month Pro Plan, when including RSN Fees. For MSG, adding broader DTC distribution is important, given that it has been dark on Comcast since October 2021.

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msgplus.tv

MSG+

MSG+ is a streaming service for sports in the New York/New Jersey area. Subscribers get live coverage of games from the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres (depending on your market), along with 24/7 live feeds of MSG Network and MSG SportsNet.

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The service costs $29.99 / month or $309.99 / year. You can also watch individual games for $9.99.

MSG+ will be available at no additional charge to subscribers of participating pay television service providers of MSG Networks, replacing MSG GO as the company’s authenticated streaming service. New features including live betting odds, personalized offers, and wider availability on devices.

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$29.99+ / month

msgplus.tv