KNSN-TV
A Reno, Nevada television station primarily branded as Nevada Sports Net, with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KNSN-TV is a television station serving Reno, Nevada, and the surrounding Northern Nevada and northeastern California region. The station broadcasts primarily as Nevada Sports Net, a sports-oriented independent service, while also carrying programming from MyNetworkTV on a secondary basis. Its programming identity is centered on local and regional sports, particularly University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack athletics, Reno Aces baseball, Mountain West Conference events, and selected professional sports coverage. The station began broadcasting on October 11, 1981, under the call sign KAME-TV. Initially it operated as an independent station, presenting a conventional mixture of movies, cartoons, westerns, and situation comedies. It became a charter Fox affiliate in October 1986. After KRXI-TV launched in the Reno market and assumed the Fox affiliation, KAME-TV shifted toward UPN programming, first on a secondary basis in January 1995 and then as a full-time UPN affiliate beginning in January 1996. The station experienced several changes in ownership and affiliation during the following decade. It was briefly owned by Raycom Media between 1996 and 1997. When UPN and The WB were replaced by The CW in 2006, KAME-TV joined MyNetworkTV, a programming service created by News Corporation, on September 5, 2006. It retained that affiliation after later developing a stronger independent sports identity. A major transformation occurred in 2018. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that KAME-TV would be relaunched as Nevada Sports Net, with expanded coverage of Wolf Pack sports, the Reno Aces, and Mountain West Conference competition. The new format began on September 10, 2018, and also absorbed the sports department previously associated with KRNV-DT. The station adopted the KNSN-TV call sign on July 15, 2019, aligning its legal identity more closely with the Nevada Sports Net brand. KNSN-TV operates in a complex Reno television ownership and services structure. Sinclair owns KNSN-TV alongside KRXI-TV, the market's Fox and NBC affiliate, and has also provided services to KRNV-DT through agreements involving Cunningham Broadcasting. Sinclair acquired KNSN-TV outright in August 2025, after regulatory and ownership arrangements had previously limited the company's direct ownership of multiple Reno full-power stations. The station shares Reno studio facilities on Vassar Street with related operations, while its transmitter is located on Red Hill between U.S. Route 395 and State Route 445 in Sun Valley. The station has also been involved in broadcast technology changes. Its analog transmission ended in February 2009 as part of the United States digital television transition. KNSN-TV later converted its main operation to ATSC 3.0 on July 25, 2023, while its ATSC 1.0 programming continued through multiplexed facilities associated with other Reno stations. Its translator network extends service into communities including Carson City, Elko, Eureka, Lake Tahoe, Silver Springs, Susanville, Winnemucca, and Yerington. In September 2023, Nevada Sports Net acquired local television rights for the Vegas Golden Knights. The coverage is produced by Scripps Sports, adding professional hockey to the station's existing regional collegiate, minor-league baseball, and conference-sports portfolio. KNSN-TV therefore combines the functions of a local broadcast station, a regional sports outlet, and a secondary network affiliate.
History
KNSN-TV began broadcasting on October 11, 1981, as KAME-TV, an independent Reno station. Its original schedule consisted largely of syndicated entertainment, including feature films, cartoons, westerns, and sitcoms. On October 9, 1986, it became one of the original Fox affiliates, serving the Reno market during Fox's early expansion. The station's Fox status ended after KRXI-TV launched in Reno and assumed the Fox affiliation. KAME-TV initially carried UPN programming alongside other programming beginning January 16, 1995, and became a full-time UPN affiliate on January 1, 1996. Its ownership changed briefly during this period: Raycom Media owned the station from September 1996 until May 1997. Following the 2006 closure and combination of The WB and UPN, KAME-TV joined MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006. MyNetworkTV provided a network-style evening schedule, while the station continued to operate as a locally oriented broadcast outlet. The station later became part of a broader Reno-market transaction involving Cox Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Ellis Communications, Deerfield Media, and related station-service arrangements. In 2013, Sinclair acquired the operating assets associated with KAME-TV and became involved with the station's operation, while Deerfield Media acquired the station license as part of the ownership structure approved by the Federal Communications Commission. Sinclair also acquired KRXI-TV and subsequently obtained non-license assets associated with KRNV-DT through separate arrangements. These transactions produced a complex local television structure because Reno had a limited number of full-power stations and ownership rules restricted the creation of additional conventional duopolies. On August 31, 2018, Sinclair announced a major repositioning of KAME-TV as Nevada Sports Net. The new brand launched on September 10, 2018, with an expanded emphasis on University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack athletics, Reno Aces baseball, and Mountain West Conference sports. The station continued to carry MyNetworkTV programming as a secondary affiliation. Nevada Sports Net also took over KRNV's sports department, strengthening its local sports production capabilities. On July 15, 2019, the station formally changed its call sign from KAME-TV to KNSN-TV. KNSN-TV's technical footprint includes a transmitter on Red Hill near Sun Valley and translators serving a wide area across Nevada and parts of northeastern California. The station ended analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, retaining digital operation on its pre-transition UHF channel with virtual channel 21. On July 25, 2023, it converted its principal operation to ATSC 3.0, while ATSC 1.0 programming remained available through shared multiplex facilities operated by other Reno stations. The station expanded its sports portfolio in 2023 when Nevada Sports Net acquired local television rights for the Vegas Golden Knights. Scripps Sports produces that coverage. The agreement complemented the station's established regional sports programming and extended its reach beyond collegiate and minor-league events. Sinclair announced in July 2025 that it would acquire KNSN-TV outright. The transaction was completed on August 18, 2025, creating a direct Sinclair ownership relationship between KNSN-TV and KRXI-TV. KNSN-TV remains an active Reno-market station, primarily known to viewers through the Nevada Sports Net brand and secondarily through its MyNetworkTV affiliation.
- 2025
Sinclair acquires the station outright
[1]Sinclair completes its direct acquisition of KNSN-TV on August 18.
- 2023
Moves to ATSC 3.0
[1]The station converts its principal broadcast operation to ATSC 3.0 on July 25.
- 2023
Adds Vegas Golden Knights rights
[1]Nevada Sports Net acquires local television rights for the Vegas Golden Knights on September 21.
- 2019
Changes call sign to KNSN-TV
[1]The former KAME-TV call sign is replaced by KNSN-TV on July 15.
- 2018
Launches Nevada Sports Net
[1]The station adopts a sports-centered format and brand on September 10.
- 2006
Joins MyNetworkTV
[1]Following the end of UPN, the station begins its MyNetworkTV affiliation on September 5.
- 1996
Becomes a full-time UPN affiliate
[1]KAME-TV moves to full-time UPN affiliation on January 1.
- 1995
Begins carrying UPN
[1]The station takes UPN programming on a secondary basis beginning January 16.
- 1986
Joins Fox as a charter affiliate
[1]KAME-TV becomes a charter Fox affiliate on October 9.
- 1981
KAME-TV launches
[1]The station begins broadcasting in Reno as an independent station on October 11.
Products and positioning
A regional sports-focused television station serving Northern Nevada, combining locally produced and acquired sports programming with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.
Regional sports television service · 2018
Nevada Sports Net
The station's primary programming identity, launched in 2018. Nevada Sports Net focuses on sports relevant to Northern Nevada, including University of Nevada, Reno athletics, Reno Aces baseball, Mountain West Conference events, and selected professional sports. It also incorporates local sports news and production capabilities inherited from the former KRNV sports department.
Television network affiliation · 2006
MyNetworkTV programming
KNSN-TV carries MyNetworkTV programming on a secondary basis. The affiliation began in 2006 after the closure and merger of UPN and The WB and continues alongside the station's Nevada Sports Net identity.
Professional sports television coverage · 2023
Vegas Golden Knights local broadcasts
Local television coverage of the Vegas Golden Knights acquired by Nevada Sports Net in 2023. Production is handled by Scripps Sports, adding National Hockey League programming to the station's regional sports offering.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Nevada Sports Net launch
Northern Nevada
KAME-TV was repositioned around a dedicated regional-sports identity emphasizing Wolf Pack athletics, Reno Aces baseball, and Mountain West Conference programming.
Outcome. The sports identity became the station's primary brand and was followed by the adoption of the KNSN-TV call sign in 2019.
Brand decisions
2025
Sinclair acquisition of KNSN-TVM&ABackground
Sinclair had operated the station through earlier ownership and service arrangements but did not directly hold the license.
Action taken
Sinclair announced the acquisition in July and completed it on August 18, 2025.
Aftermath
The transaction re-created direct Sinclair ownership of KNSN-TV alongside KRXI-TV in the Reno market.
2023
Acquisition of Vegas Golden Knights rightsProduct launchBackground
Nevada Sports Net was expanding its regional sports portfolio beyond collegiate and minor-league events.
Action taken
The station acquired local television rights for the Vegas Golden Knights, with Scripps Sports producing the coverage.
Aftermath
Professional hockey became part of the station's local sports offering.
2023
Conversion to ATSC 3.0Generation changeBackground
The station participated in the transition toward next-generation digital television broadcasting.
Action taken
KNSN-TV converted its principal transmission to ATSC 3.0 while maintaining ATSC 1.0 distribution through shared Reno-market facilities.
Aftermath
The station continued serving viewers through both next-generation and legacy digital broadcast arrangements.
2018
Shift to a regional sports formatStrategyBackground
The station sought to establish a stronger local identity after years of changing network affiliations and syndicated programming.
Action taken
Sinclair relaunched KAME-TV as Nevada Sports Net, expanded regional sports coverage, and retained MyNetworkTV as a secondary service.
Aftermath
The station adopted the KNSN-TV call sign in 2019 and continued operating primarily as a sports-focused independent station.
Recent events
- 2025
Sinclair completes acquisition of KNSN-TV[1]
M&A
Sinclair completed its acquisition of KNSN-TV, re-establishing direct ownership of the station alongside KRXI-TV in the Reno market.
- 2023
KNSN-TV converts to ATSC 3.0[1]
Product generation · Other
The station began operating its primary transmission in the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard while maintaining ATSC 1.0 distribution through shared Reno-market facilities.
- 2023
Nevada Sports Net obtains Vegas Golden Knights television rights[1]
Product launch · Other
Nevada Sports Net acquired local television rights for the Vegas Golden Knights, with production handled by Scripps Sports.
- 2019
Station adopts KNSN-TV call sign[1]
Other
Following the Nevada Sports Net relaunch, KAME-TV changed its call sign to KNSN-TV.
- 2018
KAME-TV to relaunch as Nevada Sports Net[1]
Campaign
The station announced a new sports-centered identity focused on Nevada Wolf Pack athletics, Reno Aces baseball, and Mountain West Conference programming while retaining MyNetworkTV on a secondary basis.
Sources2 sources
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