Gray Media to launch first women’s sports-focused RSN in Portland

Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

A new partnership between Gray Media, the Portland Fire, and Portland Thorns will create the first women’s sports-focused regional sports network.

Gray Media announced a broadcast agreement with the Fire and the Thorns in February. The Fire are entering their inaugural season in the WNBA, while the Thorns are in their 14th season in the NWSL.

The original plan was for Fire and Thorns games to air on “Fox 12 Plus,” branding that has been in use for the over-the-air station KPDX since 2018. But now, Gray Media and RAJ Sports, which owns the Fire and Thorns, are partnering to rebrand KPDX as “Rose City SportsNet.”

KPDX will become a 24/7 sports-focused channel, with the Fire and Thorns serving as the flagship properties. While Gray and RAJ are positioning the network as women’s-focused, other sports will air on the network as well.

As for why, Lisa Bhathal Merage, the Governor of the Portland Fire and Portland Thorns, said, “There is undeniable demand for women’s sports, and for too long, access hasn’t kept pace with that growth.”

For antenna users, the network is available on channel 49 in the Portland area. It will also be available on local cable systems. Additionally, Fire games will be available through a direct-to-consumer streaming service that costs $5.99 a month.

This is the 16th over-the-air regional sports network that Gray Media has launched since 2022. Many of these networks feature less-watched sports, such as college hockey and Minor League Baseball. While the Thorns are the first NWSL team to reach a deal with Gray, the Fire are not the first WNBA team. Gray also holds the exclusive local rights to the Phoenix Mercury on Arizona’s Family Sports and the on Peachtree Sports Network.