Looking at the future: a Mariners, NBA, NHL sports network?

Plenty of buzz around the city about the possibility of an NHL and NBA team coming here within the next couple of years. That potential arrival of two new sports franchises will also coincide with the Mariners getting their opt-out clause on their current TV deal with ROOT Sports in 2015. As we have seen in the past, you don't just start negotiating such deals on Dec. 31, 2014. The groundwork will have to be laid well in advance. So, what do the Mariners do? Well, first off, they aren't about to tell you, silly. That much hasn't changed. But with the value of local media deals soaring in baseball, it's fair to assume the Mariners will at least explore the possibility of forming their own regional sports network (RSN). After all, the teams in their own division are doing just that and Seattle will have to try to keep up. The Houston Astros, who join the AL West next year, went ahead and formed their own network with the NBA's Houston Rockets. The value of that bus...