SportsNet N.Y. Signs Broadcast Deal With Big East Conference

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

SportsNet N.Y. (SNY) has signed a five-year deal with the Big East Conference that will make the RSN N.Y.'s official television home for the conference. Terms of the deal have SNY carrying at least 16 Big East football games starting this September, anchored by a Saturday afternoon Game of the Week telecast that will include pregame, postgame and halftime shows. SNY also plans to produce weekly coaches' shows for all the conference's football teams. As part of the deal, SNY will be the exclusive TV home of Rutgers football, gaining the rights to re-air the team's games. On the basketball front, SNY will telecast more than 100 Big East men's and women's basketball games, which will include a Game of the Week mainly on Saturday afternoons. The majority of the games will be men's. SNY also plans to produce coaches' shows from St. John's, Rutgers and Seton Hall. On-air talent has not yet been picked. SNY President Steve Raab in a statement said, "The Big East is now a major programming pillar for SNY." Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese added, "The New York Metropolitan area has always been so important to the Big East. We're delighted that SNY is our partner."