Although doing taxes independently using tax software saves money over hiring an accountant, the costs of hiring an accountant is also beneficial to the individual. Accountants prepare tax returns with much more sophisticated software, compared to software sold to consumers.
Root Sports was launched in 1989 as Northwest Cable Sports, a network owned by King Broadcasting Company. In 1991, King Broadcasting sold Northwest Cable Sports and its other media properties to The Providence Journal Company, which sold the network to Liberty Media in 1992.
In April 2013, the Seattle Mariners announced that they would acquire controlling interest in Root Sports Northwest, as part of a long-term extension of its contract with the team through the 2030 season. DirecTV remained a minority stakeholder and controlling partner, and the network continued to operate under the Root Sports brand.