The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional and college sports events throughout Northern California, as well as original sports-related news, discussion and entertainment programming.

Although the network originally focused on the Northern California region, it began expanding its coverage to serve as a complement to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

Negotiations went on for months, leading Dish to file a request with the Federal Communications Commission to enter into arbitration hearings to formalize a deal.

[3] On February 3, 2011, Dish Network restored CSN California after the satellite provider reached an agreement to carry the channel without any legal arbitration.

[5] In July 2014, CSN California reached a new 20-year deal for regional rights to the Sacramento Kings beginning in the 2013–14 season, estimated to be worth nearly $700 million over the length of the contract.

[8] NBC Sports California holds the regional cable television rights to the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball, the NHL's San Jose Sharks, and the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

The channel formerly broadcast sporting events involving the California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal that were not on national television until the formation of the Pac-12 Network in August 2012.