This article is as it appears in the Kearny Observer

The New York Mets have recently started their own network, which they have named SportsNet New York. The channel is run by Sterling Enterprise, Time Warner and Comcast.

The channel is the official home of the New York Mets. This means that the channel will carry 125 games, including the Mets’ season opener April 3 against the Washington Nationals. In addition, SNY will also be the official year-round television home of the New York Jets, providing viewers the most exclusive coverage and access to the Jets’ organization and its players.

SNY will also televise other professional and collegiate sports, including basketball and football games from the Big East and Big Ten conferences, as well as classic sports and event programming.

SNY will also feature exclusive interview and magazine programs such as “Daily News Live,” as well as three nightly sports newscast which will be called, “Sportsnite.”

The channel will be similar to the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network, which is home to the New York Yankees. The difference between SNY and YES is SNY will have a sports-news program built on the same model as Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and other SportsNets, and YES does not have a sports-news program.

One thing YES has working for them that SNY does not is that it carries the New Jersey Nets, a winter sports team. SNY will not have any winter sport programming because all the local teams are locked into long-term deals with other networks.

SportsNet New York debuted on March 16 at 5 p.m. The first program to appear on the channel was Daily News Live. During the program, the channel experienced technical difficulties with audio. This problem is ironic because the first ever Mets’ game, which appeared on WWOR, had similar problems.

Comcast is airing SportsNet New York on channel 77 and it is part of their basic package.
DirecTV and Dish Network do not yet carry SNY.

“We are in active negotiations with Direct TV and Dish Network, and we hope to reach an agreement by opening day,” said SNY Spokesman Andrew Fegeyveres. “The Mets games will be called by Ron Darling and Gary Cohen , one of the best on- air teams in baseball. The goal for SNY is to be the destination Network for all New York sports fans.”

Local reaction to the new network was rather favorable.

“It is about time the Mets get their own Channel. I mean haven’t the Yankees had YES for a few years? The Mets are as deserving as the Yankees to have their own channel, and I am glad the Mets have started SNY, a channel I look forward to watching,” said Anthony Beck, of Kearny.

As a baseball person, it is great to see who they are playing,” said David Sica, of Lyndhurst. “The Yankees have had YES, so, for the Mets it is good.”