Overall, Neil Leibman had a pretty solid role with the Texas Rangers, being part of the ownership group and serving as the president of business operations and chief operating officer for the team. However, he is now preparing to dive into the franchise’s latest and possibly most ambitious project—the Rangers Sports Network (RSN).
Leibman is stepping away from his previous position to take charge of RSN, which will function as a subsidiary of the Rangers Sports Media & Entertainment Company. This company also oversees the entertainment division, which organizes non-Rangers events at Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium, previously known as the Ballpark in Arlington. Taking on RSN is a major endeavor, especially since the Rangers are going solo in this venture. Most Major League Baseball teams typically have some partnership with a sports network for broadcasting and distributing their games.
For many years, the Rangers worked with Fox Sports and later with Diamond Sports Group, earning over $100 million each year in broadcast rights fees. However, after the last season, DSG—managing Bally’s—returned the Rangers’ broadcast rights as a part of the company’s bankruptcy reorganization. This marks the first time in decades that the Rangers have a degree of control over their future direction.
Texas could have returned to DSG/Bally (now rebranded as FanDuel) or partnered with MLB, which oversees the broadcast rights for some teams dropped by DSG. Nevertheless, the Rangers are choosing a more challenging path—creating a network that they will manage entirely, handling everything from broadcasting to advertising and distribution.
Leibman expressed this decision clearly in a recent interview with Sports Business Journal, stating that neither option provided the Rangers with significant control. “We know we can broadcast the games,” he remarked. “Can we generate the revenue to offset what we would have made [elsewhere]? That’s up to our execution, and I think we’re in better hands managing our own risk.” The Rangers have already formed partnerships with Spectrum, DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, and AT&T/U-Verse for linear and satellite broadcasts, along with creating a network of in-market affiliates to air up to 15 over-the-air games.
They’ve also launched a streaming partnership with Victory+, which allows fans without cable or satellite to subscribe at a pre-sale rate of $100 for the season; afterward, the price will rise to $120 for the year or $20 per month. While Leibman did not disclose his revenue expectations for RSN in its inaugural year, he did express confidence that it could surpass the $90 million in rights fees from DSG last season. To achieve this vision, Leibman and his team will face a considerable challenge.
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