Wildcat Formation: Univ. Of Arizona Launches New Sports Net

The Univ. of Arizona (UA) has created the Arizona Wildcats Sports Network (AWSN), giving a "new home to football and men's basketball games that had been aired on Fox Sports Arizona for more than 10 years," according to Patrick Finley of the ARIZONA DAILY STAR. AWSN will include KGUN-ABC and KWBA-CW in Southern Arizona, as well as KWBA's Spanish language affiliate LATV, which is "available only on cable." KAZT-Ind will also carry games statewide. AWSN will debut September 5 with UA's season-opening football game against Central Michigan. The net will "carry games not covered by the Pac-10's television agreement" and could broadcast "additional football games this season." UA Associate AD Brent Seebohm, who is also IMG College GM & VP, said that the basketball season "will see another 13 to 15 games aired." Seebohm said that AWSN will cost $800,000-1.2M per year for UA "to run for at least three years." Finley reported IMG College, UA's marketing arm, "will produce the games and sell advertising." Live streaming video of self-produced games will be available on UA's official athletic Web site, which will offer All-Access subscriptions for $9.95 per month or $79.95 per year. Seebohm said that live sporting events other than men's basketball and football "will be phased in 'gradually' over the next few years." FS Arizona Senior VP & GM Mike Connelly said of UA not renewing its partnership, "The money we offered in rights fees wasn't the money they wanted in rights fees. They felt they could monetize this themselves without the assistance" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 7/14). An FSN spokesperson said, "Fox Sports Arizona remains the home of UA sports, with more men's basketball and football games than any other local TV outlet" (THE DAILY).

SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON: YAHOO SPORTS' Matt Hinton wrote while "no one outside of Arizona except other university administrators will pay much attention to this," AWSN does represent the "first university-owned and operated television network in the country and as such will have the attention of every revenue-minded school outside of the SEC and Big Ten, the only conferences who have all of their members more or less taken care of where TV is concerned." Hinton: "You can bet Texas, in particular, will be watching the AWSN with very keen interest" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/14). Contrary to Yahoo's report, UA will have no ownership stake in AWSN, which will be managed by IMG College, the school's multimedia rights holder. AWSN will will be similar to third-tier TV networks at some of IMG's other properties, including Tennessee's Vols Network and Kentucky's Big Blue Network (Michael Smith, SportsBusiness Journal).