New York Yankee fans were blessed with their own television network devoted to Yankee baseball on March 19, 1992. The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a cable network dedicated to all things Yankee. When it first premiered, it broadcast all Yankee games no matter where they took place as it still does today.
Since then, it has expanded coverage to not only the games but programs devoted to the history of the Yankees, Spring training, player’s lives and interviews with players and other celebrities. Two of the most popular features on YES, are Encore which allows fans that may be working, the ability to watch that day’s game at another time. The other is New York Yankee Classics, classic games in Yankee history.
The regional sports network now covers all New York sports, from Ice hockey to soccer. Also, in association with ESPN, it presents the Michael Kay Show each afternoon. Kay not only has his own show on cable, but he is the voice of the YES Network from the broadcast booth when televising Yankee games along with dozens of other Yankees over the years, including Phil Rizzuto, Bobby Mercer, and others.
Yankee fans can emerge themselves in Yankee player’s lives with programs like Yankeeographies, Yankees Magazine, and Homegrown, delving into the lives of future Yankees greats. Michael Kay’s Centerstage features interviews with Yankee players and other sports greats.
The most important feature of the YES Network is the broadcasting of Yankee baseball games. Although it is a regional network, it is being picked up by more and more cable companies around the country. In addition to the game broadcast, their excellent, knowledgeable staff engages in Batting Practice today, a pre-game show, and a post-game show with analysis by journalists and baseball brainiacs.
Congratulations to Michael Kay and the YES Network on 18 years of broadcasting Yankee games. Hopefully, those broadcasts will again take place sooner than later after this coronavirus disease spread has receded, and the Center for Disease Control allows it.