AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain
A former American regional sports network serving the Rocky Mountain region and televising professional, college and other sporting events.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain was an American regional sports network headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It served a broad Rocky Mountain distribution territory that included Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, parts of Idaho, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, California and Arizona, with national satellite availability through DirecTV. The network concentrated on locally relevant professional sports, especially teams in the Denver, Utah and Nevada markets, while also carrying college athletics, high-school competitions, syndicated sports programming and studio shows. The service launched on November 15, 1988, as Prime Sports Network. Its first live broadcast was an NBA game between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. Early programming combined professional sports with Denver Zephyrs minor-league baseball, college competitions from conferences including the Big Eight, Western Athletic and Missouri Valley conferences, University of Denver hockey, and events such as skiing, rodeo, boxing, tennis, golf, hunting and fishing. It became part of the wider Prime Sports Network group associated with Bill Daniels and TCI, and was subsequently renamed several times as ownership and national sports-network branding changed. In 1995, the channel became Prime Sports Rocky Mountain and later joined the Fox Sports regional-network system as Fox Sports Rocky Mountain. The name evolved to Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain in 2000 and FSN Rocky Mountain in 2004. News Corporation and Liberty Media were involved in the ownership structure during the Fox Sports period. In 2006, News Corporation exchanged its interest in several regional sports networks, including FSN Rocky Mountain, with Liberty Media. The networks subsequently came under DirecTV Sports Networks. The channel adopted the Root Sports Rocky Mountain name on April 1, 2011. Its programming portfolio included Utah Jazz basketball, Colorado Rockies baseball and, at different times, the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Crush, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Aces, Utah Warriors and Colorado Raptors. It also carried extensive college sports and produced pregame, postgame, magazine and insider programming. The network lost the Nuggets and Avalanche to Altitude Sports and Entertainment in 2004 after Stan Kroenke launched that competing regional sports service. AT&T Sports Networks announced a new AT&T SportsNet identity in 2017, and the channel became AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain on July 14 of that year. The rebrand retained the network's programming and on-air personnel. Distribution challenges later intensified: Dish Network and Sling removed the service in October 2021. In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced its intention to exit the regional-sports-network business. The network continued for part of the baseball season, but its remaining team relationships unraveled. The Vegas Golden Knights moved to an over-the-air arrangement beginning with the 2023-24 season, and the Utah Jazz announced a return to local broadcast television supplemented by other distribution and streaming. The Rockies later arranged local distribution with assistance from Major League Baseball for the 2024 season. The service was ultimately stripped of the AT&T name and operated briefly as SportsNet Rocky Mountain near the end of 2023. Full-time employees were laid off on October 6, and the network ceased operations by the end of 2023. Its final schedule consisted largely of national and syndicated sports programming rather than a substantial slate of local team telecasts.
History
The network began on November 15, 1988, as Prime Sports Network, a Denver-based regional sports channel created by Bill Daniels, United Cable and Home Sports Entertainment. Its inaugural live event was a Denver Nuggets–Los Angeles Lakers NBA game. The initial schedule was limited compared with later regional sports networks, operating during evening hours on weekdays and from late morning through evening on weekends. Alongside Nuggets games, it carried Denver Zephyrs minor-league baseball, college sports, University of Denver hockey and a varied collection of outdoor and individual sports. The channel became associated with the Prime Sports Network group formed by Daniels and TCI. To distinguish the Denver service from the broader group, it was formally identified as Prime Sports Network-Rocky Mountain, although shorter on-air forms remained common. In 1995, as satellite television expanded and the Prime regional networks were reorganized, it became Prime Sports Rocky Mountain. Later that year, News Corporation acquired a 50 percent interest in the Prime Network from TCI parent Liberty Media. The Prime affiliates were relaunched as Fox Sports Net properties, and the Denver service became Fox Sports Rocky Mountain. The Fox identity was expanded to Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain in 2000 and shortened to FSN Rocky Mountain in 2004. That same year, the network lost its Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche rights after team owner Stan Kroenke established Altitude Sports and Entertainment, a competing regional network. Nevertheless, FSN Rocky Mountain retained a substantial regional role through programming for teams such as the Utah Jazz and Colorado Rockies, as well as college and syndicated sports. In December 2006, News Corporation sold its interests in FSN Rocky Mountain and several sister networks to Liberty Media as part of a broader asset exchange involving DirecTV. After Liberty's entertainment assets were reorganized, the networks were operated by DirecTV Sports Networks. In December 2010, DirecTV Sports Networks announced the Root Sports brand. The Rocky Mountain channel adopted the Root Sports Rocky Mountain name on April 1, 2011, beginning its new identity with an airing of The Dan Patrick Show. AT&T Sports Networks announced another rebrand in June 2017. Root Sports Rocky Mountain became AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain on July 14, while its programming and on-air staff remained substantially in place. The network continued to provide local coverage of the Rockies and Jazz and added or maintained rights involving the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Aces and other professional and college properties. Its distribution footprint extended across much of the interior West, with a Utah subfeed and a western subfeed serving relevant team territories. The economics and distribution of regional sports networks deteriorated in the early 2020s. In October 2021, Dish Network and Sling removed the channel. Warner Bros. Discovery announced in February 2023 that it intended to exit the regional-sports-network business. The announcement triggered uncertainty over local rights and led teams to seek alternative broadcast or streaming arrangements. The Golden Knights moved to E.W. Scripps stations for the 2023-24 season, while the Jazz announced a return to KJZZ-TV and additional television and streaming distribution. Rockies games were later distributed locally with assistance from Major League Baseball for 2024. The channel continued through the 2023 baseball season but was ultimately confirmed for closure. It briefly operated as SportsNet Rocky Mountain after removing the AT&T branding. Full-time employees were laid off on October 6, and the remaining schedule consisted largely of national and syndicated sports programs. The network ended operations by the close of 2023 after approximately 35 years of service under successive Prime, Fox Sports, Root Sports and AT&T SportsNet identities.
- 2023
Network winds down and closes
[1]Following Warner Bros. Discovery's exit from the RSN business, the service lost team relationships, dropped the AT&T name and ceased operations by year-end.
- 2017
AT&T SportsNet branding begins
[1]The Root Sports channel became AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain on July 14.
- 2011
Root Sports Rocky Mountain launches
[1]The network replaced its FSN identity with Root Sports Rocky Mountain on April 1.
- 2004
Nuggets and Avalanche rights move to Altitude
[1]The Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche left the network after Stan Kroenke launched Altitude Sports and Entertainment.
- 1995
Prime Sports Rocky Mountain identity adopted
[1]The channel was renamed as part of a broader Prime regional-network reorganization.
- 1995
Fox Sports regional-network relaunch
[1]Following News Corporation's investment in the Prime Network, the channel became Fox Sports Rocky Mountain.
- 1988
Prime Sports Network launches
[1]The Denver-based regional sports service began broadcasting on November 15, with a Nuggets-Lakers game as its first live event.
Products and positioning
A regional sports television service focused on live coverage, analysis and ancillary programming for professional and college teams across the Rocky Mountain states.
Sports broadcasting · 1988
Regional live sports telecasts
The network's core offering was live coverage of professional and college sports within its Rocky Mountain territory. Major rights over its history included the Utah Jazz, Colorado Rockies, Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Aces, with earlier coverage of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. Telecasts were commonly supported by local commentary, in-game reporting and team-focused studio coverage.
Sports media
Team studio and magazine programming
Beyond games, the channel produced pregame and postgame shows, replays, classic-game presentations and insider features. Team magazine programs included The Club: Colorado Rockies and Knight Life for the Vegas Golden Knights. Its broader sports-news schedule included Rocky Mountain Sports Report and other analysis-oriented programs.
Sports broadcasting · 1988
College and amateur sports coverage
The service carried college and other nonprofessional events across the region, including Mountain West and conference programming, Denver Pioneers sports, Colorado College hockey, University of Colorado content, high-school athletics and selected syndicated conference games. The mix changed over time as rights moved to competing networks and digital platforms.
Brand decisions
2023
Wind down the regional sports networkStrategyBackground
Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would leave the regional-sports-network business, creating uncertainty around distribution and team rights.
Action taken
The network continued temporarily while rights were reassigned, then reduced its schedule, dropped the AT&T name and closed by the end of the year.
Aftermath
Teams including the Rockies, Jazz, Golden Knights and Aces moved their local coverage to other broadcast, league or streaming arrangements.
2017
Adopt the AT&T SportsNet brandStrategyBackground
AT&T Sports Networks was consolidating several regional sports channels under a common brand identity.
Action taken
Root Sports Rocky Mountain was renamed AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, while the network said its programming and on-air talent would remain in place.
Aftermath
The channel operated under the AT&T SportsNet name until it removed the AT&T branding during its final weeks in 2023.
Sources1 sources
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