Gretchen Sheirr, the president of business operations with the Rockets, said the plan has been in the works ever since Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and Astros owner Jim Crane bought AT&T SportsNet Southwest two years ago. The regional network, which broadcasts more than 220 live games per year in addition to other sports and team-related content, was later rebranded as Space City Home Network.
"Over the last couple of years, we were making sure that network was stable and growing,” Sheirr said. “We've been able to increase ratings. We've been able to increase advertisers' dollars. We've added some subscribers. The next natural step would be to launch a digital and streaming version from the network and that's what happened today with Space City Home Network Plus."
The streaming service will cost $19.99 per month or $199 per year, plus tax. People who currently receive the Space City Home Network will be able to authenticate their credentials to activate the app.
"It's been a very disappointing process for both the Astros and the Rockets to go through many years without being able to reach a majority of our fans," said Giles Kibbe, the Astros’ executive vice president and general counsel. "When we did not own the network, we couldn't do anything about it. It's something we wanted to do. Now that we own it, we had the opportunity to try to get this done."
The app made its debut Wednesday night in time for the basketball game between the Rockets and Sacramento Kings. The Astros will return to SCHN in March during spring training for the 2026 baseball season.
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