WAC signs TV deal
Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 6:40 pmFrom the Western Athletic Conference:
Western Athletic Conference signs television broadcast contract with SportsWest
Agreement covers 10 football and 10 basketball games during each of the 2003-2006 seasons
Denver, Colo. July 21, 2003 -- Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson announced today that SportsWest has signed a three year agreement to broadcast conference football and basketball games. Benson said the television deal - featuring SportsWest's unique point to point broadcasting capability -- will bring heightened exposure to WAC universities throughout the Western and South Central regions, benefiting athletic department recruitment efforts and local fans.
With the contract, which includes 10 football and 10 basketball games and the quarterfinals and semifinals of the men's basketball tournament, SportsWest becomes the largest single provider of television sports programming for the WAC.
"All of our WAC schools will have guaranteed television exposure," said Benson, "bringing more equity across the conference and giving our athletes, coaches and fans a golden opportunity to show the excellence of WAC sports. SportsWest's point to point broadcast model is the trend in television sports programming. This will be exciting news for our fans and bring new synergy and rivalries to a conference as geographically diverse as ours."
Dan Checketts, president of SportsWest, said the agreement with the WAC "is part of SportsWest's strategic goal to be the premier provider of local sports programming. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the WAC."
SportsWest is the first television production company to leverage the dual market point-to-point broadcast concept, which enables college sports fans of the two competing team to view the same game on television in their local market.
Traditionally athletic teams have had to rely on being selected for regional or national television feeds - leaving many schools without local TV coverage. Most independent or network affiliate stations don't have the resources to individually produce major college sporting events.
Other major benefactors will be athletic departments at WAC universities that have been seeking greater television exposure to support their recruiting efforts, and local college sports fans who rarely see their teams on television.
Jim Oakes, athletic director at Louisiana Tech, said SportsWest's television exposure "will add clout to our recruiting effort and help us build excitement and interest among our own fans for Louisiana Tech football and basketball."
SportsWest is doubling its production capability to handle WAC conference games, according to Mikel Minor, vice president of Production, by hiring additional broadcasters, staff and contractors. The games will be carried on network and independent stations.
Besides the WAC, SportsWest broadcasts football and basketball games featuring Mountain West Conference schools. With the addition of both conferences, SportsWest will reach a potential of 37 million fans in 11 states and 18 university cities from Hawaii to Louisiana. SportsWest not only holds television broadcast rights to these games but many local marketing rights in basketball arenas and football stadiums.
Sports marketing continues to be one of the most lucrative and attractive advertising arenas with sales reaching more than $400 billion in 2002.
SportsWest became an independent production company in 2002 when it was purchased by sports entrepreneur Dave Checketts. That same year, SportsWest announced contractual agreements with seven Mountain West Conference schools and seven network affiliate TV stations to carry about one-third of the MWC football and men's basketball games as well as women's basketball and volleyball. Annually, SportsWest broadcasts about 50 to 60 sporting events in the Western region. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah SportsWest was originally created in 1999 through an agreement with KSL TV and Bonneville International. It became the sports production arm of Bonneville International for Brigham Young University football and men's
basketball games not broadcast by ESPN, ESPN2, ABC or ERT. SportsWest traces its origins to Video West Productions in 1986 when the concept of nationally syndicating BYU football games was first realized. It became the Blue and White Network in 1994 with a peak audience of 34 million in 30 states.
Western Athletic Conference signs television broadcast contract with SportsWest
Agreement covers 10 football and 10 basketball games during each of the 2003-2006 seasons
Denver, Colo. July 21, 2003 -- Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson announced today that SportsWest has signed a three year agreement to broadcast conference football and basketball games. Benson said the television deal - featuring SportsWest's unique point to point broadcasting capability -- will bring heightened exposure to WAC universities throughout the Western and South Central regions, benefiting athletic department recruitment efforts and local fans.
With the contract, which includes 10 football and 10 basketball games and the quarterfinals and semifinals of the men's basketball tournament, SportsWest becomes the largest single provider of television sports programming for the WAC.
"All of our WAC schools will have guaranteed television exposure," said Benson, "bringing more equity across the conference and giving our athletes, coaches and fans a golden opportunity to show the excellence of WAC sports. SportsWest's point to point broadcast model is the trend in television sports programming. This will be exciting news for our fans and bring new synergy and rivalries to a conference as geographically diverse as ours."
Dan Checketts, president of SportsWest, said the agreement with the WAC "is part of SportsWest's strategic goal to be the premier provider of local sports programming. We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the WAC."
SportsWest is the first television production company to leverage the dual market point-to-point broadcast concept, which enables college sports fans of the two competing team to view the same game on television in their local market.
Traditionally athletic teams have had to rely on being selected for regional or national television feeds - leaving many schools without local TV coverage. Most independent or network affiliate stations don't have the resources to individually produce major college sporting events.
Other major benefactors will be athletic departments at WAC universities that have been seeking greater television exposure to support their recruiting efforts, and local college sports fans who rarely see their teams on television.
Jim Oakes, athletic director at Louisiana Tech, said SportsWest's television exposure "will add clout to our recruiting effort and help us build excitement and interest among our own fans for Louisiana Tech football and basketball."
SportsWest is doubling its production capability to handle WAC conference games, according to Mikel Minor, vice president of Production, by hiring additional broadcasters, staff and contractors. The games will be carried on network and independent stations.
Besides the WAC, SportsWest broadcasts football and basketball games featuring Mountain West Conference schools. With the addition of both conferences, SportsWest will reach a potential of 37 million fans in 11 states and 18 university cities from Hawaii to Louisiana. SportsWest not only holds television broadcast rights to these games but many local marketing rights in basketball arenas and football stadiums.
Sports marketing continues to be one of the most lucrative and attractive advertising arenas with sales reaching more than $400 billion in 2002.
SportsWest became an independent production company in 2002 when it was purchased by sports entrepreneur Dave Checketts. That same year, SportsWest announced contractual agreements with seven Mountain West Conference schools and seven network affiliate TV stations to carry about one-third of the MWC football and men's basketball games as well as women's basketball and volleyball. Annually, SportsWest broadcasts about 50 to 60 sporting events in the Western region. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah SportsWest was originally created in 1999 through an agreement with KSL TV and Bonneville International. It became the sports production arm of Bonneville International for Brigham Young University football and men's
basketball games not broadcast by ESPN, ESPN2, ABC or ERT. SportsWest traces its origins to Video West Productions in 1986 when the concept of nationally syndicating BYU football games was first realized. It became the Blue and White Network in 1994 with a peak audience of 34 million in 30 states.