• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Beyond the Boxscore

    Houston Dynamo land a major league TV deal: Drop any CSN concerns, this is a big soccer win

    Chris Baldwin
    Jan 30, 2013 | 6:39 pm

    Chris Canetti remembers the early days (circa 2006) when the Houston Dynamo were lucky to get six to seven games a season on regional TV.

    Which makes the Dynamo president appreciate what it means — and what a step forward it is — to know that all 40 games will be televised this season. In HD. With extensive pre and postgame shows.

    That's happening thanks to a new three-year deal the Dynamo have reached with Comcast SportsNet Houston that will put 15 games on the channel this season — with another six to be shown on local NBC affiliate KPRC and 19 to be televised nationally (on outlets such as NBC SportsNetwork, ESPN and Fox Sports).

    "We're going to be treated like the Rockets and Astros are treated," Canetti told CultureMap in an exclusive interview.

    Imagine that . . . a Major League Soccer franchise being covered like the traditional big boys. The Dynamo have always been a model of professionalism on the field. This is the one franchise in Houston that still regularly plays for championships.

    "We're going to be treated like the Rockets and Astros are treated."

    But breaking the U.S. soccer stigma is not as simple as just winning.

    It takes things like packing a new showcase downtown stadium night after night. Things like working out a TV deal that doesn't treat the soccer team like a red-headed stepchild that's pushed into the corner and told to like it.

    Canneti calls the Dynamo's new deal "the most complete TV package of any of the MLS teams." It is the programming around the games on CSN that makes the difference, the fact that the new regional cable network is committing to pre and postgame shows, a Dynamo Weekly show and what Canetti says will be a "a six to eight-part documentary-type series."

    Those are the same types of shows that the Houston Rockets and Houston Astros, which own CSN, are getting on the network.

    Yes, CSN is still only available to around 40 percent of Houston's households due to sometimes crippling carrier disputes. But that does not hurt the Dynamo as much as it does the Rockets and Astros. The Rockets and Astros would have been available to more local viewers under their old deals. But MLS is still at a point where its teams are not guaranteed that type of blanket coverage.

    The Dynamo can afford to grow with a network that values it.

    Soccer Respect

    It doesn't hurt that CSN president and general manager Matt Hutchings is a soccer guy. You either get soccer or you don't. And Hutchings' soccer bona fides are hard to dispute.

    He used to be a ball boy for Houston Hurricane, the North American Soccer League team that played at the Astrodome from 1978 to 1980.

    "I grew up playing all sports," Hutchings tells CultureMap. "But soccer was always near and dear to my heart."

    CSN would not have come to this deal if it didn't make business sense, if it didn't value and need the programming. Many speculated that Rockets owner Leslie Alexander made that rejected bid to purchase the Dynamo for the CSN programming and additional stadium clout and control. Don't fool yourself into thinking programming's still not a big bottom line.

    But with that said, it cannot hurt to have a soccer guy in the head network chair.

    It is no secret that the Dynamo's great attendance numbers at BBVA Compass Stadium have never translated into good TV ratings. Or even close to decent ones. Maybe a soccer guy helps come up with creative ways to try and move that needle even a little. At least you know, Hutchings will try.

    It doesn't hurt that CSN president and general manager Matt Hutchings is a soccer guy. You either get soccer or you don't.

    Hutchings says he first contacted Canetti about working out a deal within days of his arrival in Houston. This has been months in the works. "The Dynamo have been a priority for us from the beginning," Hutchings says.

    The Dynamo will not run the network. But they will not be forgotten and dismissed either.

    In the end, this agreement is about respect. The Dynamo will be treated like a true member of Houston's big four professional sports teams by a TV partner. CSN's already established it doesn't do Mickey Mouse coverage.

    Its pros may be working in something of a shadow themselves — thanks to all those households unable to watch. But they are always prepared. They always bring it. Much like the Dynamo have year after year after year.

    "This is something we've wanted since day one," Canetti says of the deal, referring all the way back to those early days when TV had little use for the new soccer guys.

    One year after the stadium completely transformed the Dynamo's financial health, this is another important step for soccer in Houston. Culture changes don't happen overnight.

    Instead it's painstaking step by painstaking step by painstaking step . . . and then you wake up one morning and realize everything's different. Soccer has not reached that dawn yet. But it's getting easier and easier to imagine it coming.

    CSN Houston know has rights to three of Houston's four major league sports teams.

      
    unspecified
    news/sports

    pucker up

    Growing pickleball franchise smashes into Houston with 2 locations

    Jef Rouner
    Apr 29, 2025 | 5:30 pm
    Two men play pickleball on a Picklr court.
    Photo courtesy of The Picklr
    A Picklr court campus similar to the ones soon to open in Houston.

    Pickleball is one of the hottest sports sweeping the nation, and one of the biggest names in the game is setting up two new facilities in Houston. Picklr is scheduled to open indoor sports campuses in Cypress and The Woodlands in the coming months.

    “Bringing a pickleball facility to Cypress will not only provide a fun and engaging recreational outlet for residents of all ages, but will also foster a sense of community and promote a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Steve Nguyen, owner of The Picklr Cypress.“This facility will serve as a vibrant hub for social interaction, skill development, and friendly/competitive competition, enhancing community bonds and offering a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy.”

    Although the game is approximately 60 years old, pickleball saw a massive spike in popularity following the pandemic when people were looking for fun group activities with easy points of entry. Though a racket sport like tennis, it is far easier and slower thanks to using perforated balls, smaller courts, and lighter paddles. This means the game is open to players of all ages, and was originally most popular with retirees. Now, there are roughly 5 million players across America, with players under 24 making up the majority. Houston even has its own professional team, the Hammers (not the Texas Hammer; that's this guy).

    The court in Cypress will be located in the old ASI Gymnastics building at 8920 Barker Cypress. It's a relatively modest facility with only six courts including a practice court. By contrast, The Woodlands location will be much more opulent. At 66,517 square feet, it will have 20 courts, 4 private event spaces (one with an exclusive viewing area), as well as a shower, changing room, dry bar, and kitchenette. Picklr The Woodlands will be located at 16590 Interstate I-45 South.

    These locations are the first for Picklr in Houston. They have twelve locations all throughout Texas, including in Round Rock and McKinney, and many more nationwide. Picklr locations operate on a membership model similar to a gym. Memberships run $159 a month for adults and $89 for minors, with unlimited access to open play, league play, and tournaments , as well as four free clinics a month. Additional coaching is available.

    There is currently no set opening date for the two Houston-area Picklrs. Players interested in learning more may sign up for updates at ThePicklr.com.

    pickleballopenings
    news/sports
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.
    Loading...