Just a day after announcing a new agreement with Oklahoma University of the Big 12 Conference, Fox Sports unveils a similar rights deal with Texas Tech University. Under the deal, Fox Sports will air one Texas Tech football game a year, have exclusive replays, live basketball games plus coverage of various Olympic sports.
The programming will be aired mostly on Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Southwest Plus and Fox College Sports.
Fox Sports made the agreement with longtime Texas Tech rightsholder Learfield Sports which will retain all streaming rights on the school’s official sports website.
Let’s take a look what the official announcement says about the new rights deal.
FOX SPORTS AND LEARFIELD SPORTS ANNOUNCE MULTIMEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENT FOR TEXAS TECH
Red Raider Sports to be Distributed to Millions of Homes Throughout Texas and Beyond
Texas Tech’s Victory vs. Northwestern State on Sept. 1 Marked First TelecastLUBBOCK, Texas (Sept. 13, 2012) – Texas Tech Red Raider fans in a four-state region will have a greater opportunity to watch their favorite collegiate team as a result of a new multi-year agreement between FOX Sports and Learfield Sports, which is Texas Tech’s exclusive athletic multimedia rights holder.
Terms of the agreement call for one football game to be televised annually on a FOX Sports Networks’ platform, which could include FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports Southwest Plus or FOX College Sports. The Red Raiders’ Sept. 1 home opener against Northwestern State on FOX Sports Southwest Plus officially kicked off the partnership. FOX Sports Networks platforms will also televise all available men’s basketball games, up to 20 Olympic sports, and additional Texas Tech non-game programming mutually selected by FOX Sports and Texas Tech. This season, Texas Tech’s Red Raider Weekly and Raider Power are scheduled to air on FOX Sports Southwest and FOX College Sports respectively. Both are 30-minute sports magazine shows.
“Our new partnership provides a terrific platform for Texas Tech Athletics to extend its visibility to more than 9 million viewers in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and beyond,” said Learfield Sports’ VP Digital, Television Media Diane Penny. “We’re really pleased to be working alongside FOX Sports to deliver excellent coverage for the Red Raiders regionally and nationally, while continuing to reach fans globally via the school’s official athletics website.”
The FOX Sports agreement with Learfield Sports still allows Texas Tech to retain streaming rights on its official athletics website, www.texastech.com, for any event not selected for distribution by FOX Sports or any FOX-designated platform.
“With a focus towards enhancing and expanding the Texas Tech brand, we are excited about this partnership with FOX Sports,” said Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt. “The expanded exposure and distribution will allow Red Raider fans unprecedented access to Texas Tech sporting events and programming. We will continue to be proactive in exploring new media opportunities as this particular segment of our industry continues to evolve.”
“We’re excited about our new partnership with Texas Tech,” said FOX Sports Southwest Senior Vice President/General Manager Jon Heidtke. “It presents a great opportunity for us to extend our relationship with the Big 12 even deeper into the fabric of our region. We look forward to showcasing a robust lineup of Red Raiders sports across the Southwest and helping Texas Tech broaden its exposure.”
Learfield Sports’ Red Raider Sports Properties oversees all aspects of the Texas Tech relationship. Learfield Sports manages multimedia rights for more than 50 collegiate institutions and associations including four additional Big 12 Conference members – Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The company also titles the acclaimed Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup and provides exclusive sports programming to more than 1,000 radio stations nationwide. Learfield Sports’ programming also is seen on more than 160 local television stations, cable systems and Regional Sports Networks. For additional information about the company’s 40-year history and complete collegiate portfolio, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
FOX Sports Southwest produces over 700 events and nearly 3,000 hours annually of local original sports programming in high-definition. The regional sports network reaches over 9 million television homes in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Collegiate programming includes Big 12 Conference, SEC, ACC, and Conference USA events. FOX Sports Southwest also provides exclusive home team coverage of the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Stars, FC Dallas and the San Antonio Silver Stars. For complete regional sports news, commentary from team correspondents, and telecast schedules, visit www.foxsportssouthwest.com.
More coming up later.
