Florida State Univ.'s contract with Sun Sports “is coming to an end and there is concern among Seminoles that the network now has different priorities,” according to Mike Bianchi of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Sun Sports and FSU are “in the process of renegotiating their local cable deal, but it won't be like it used to be.” Although it appears FSU “will still have a deal with Sun Sports, it won't be nearly as extensive or exclusive" as in the past. Sun Sports was founded in ’88 “essentially to televise Florida State athletics.” The network was “so successful at it that” the Univ. of Florida, who “then had a local cable deal with now-defunct Sports Channel, jumped to Sun Sports at the first opportunity.” Sun Sports has since been “bought by Fox Sports and the priorities changed.” There are now pro sports teams throughout Florida, and “pro sports is where the programming and local advertising dollars are.” Bianchi writes college sports, because of “the massive TV deals the major conferences sign with the networks, don't have nearly as much to offer regional cable outlets.” Sun Sports also "has become the 'Gator Network,'" paying UF $10M a year “to be the Gators' exclusive multi-media rights holder” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/27).
