The Oregon Sports Network (OSN) issued the following press release today:
Comcast SportsNet Northwest and OSN-IMG have reached an unprecedented agreement to televise University of Oregon sports, including comprehensive live coverage of Oregon football, basketball, track and field and baseball. Comcast SportsNet will begin their partnership by televising the OSN broadcasts of three live football games; Sept. 6 vs. Utah State at 12:30, Sept. 13 vs. Boise State at12:30 p.m., and the Sept. 27 contest at Washington State at 3:15 p.m.. In addition, Comcast SportsNet has agreed to have FOX TV KLSR EUGENE simulcast these three live football games in order to fully serve the Ducks’ home market.
Comcast SportsNet will also air replays of Oregon football games (as Pac-10 agreements allow) Saturdays at 11:00 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. as well as a comprehensive slate of other Ducks sports programming.
The long-term relationship keeps all current OSN produced programming in place, and adds new shows and contests accounting for a record minimum of 35 live games to be aired on Comcast SportsNet. Included in that total are 14 exclusive live Oregon
basketball games-the most ever televised by OSN, selected live women’s basketball games, track and field, and 15 live Oregon baseball games. It also provides coverage of women’s soccer, volleyball, softball, women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s golf, as well as men’s and women’s tennis.
“We know being a Ducks fan is a year-round passion,” said Comcast Executive Vice President of Sports Programming David Manougian. “Comcast SportsNet is proud to deliver the most in-depth coverage of Ducks athletics, including live football, basketball, baseball and track and field available anywhere on television.”
“This landmark agreement represents a new chapter in the televising of Oregon athletics, and takes us to an entirely new level in programming, reach and revenue,” said Director of Athletics Pat Kilkenny. “We are thrilled at the chance to partner with national sports media experts to help us remain innovative and exciting, while at the same time expanding our offerings on a traditional, northwest local level. Comcast SportsNet’s northwest footprint and growing distribution opportunities are also extremely exciting and in our view will give us the most comprehensive television agreement of any college athletics program in the country. With the strength of Comcast SportsNet and their incredible leadership this is now possible.”
Comcast SportsNet will air a multitude of additional OSN programming, including coaches shows for football, men’s and women’s basketball, track and field and baseball. They will also air other specials and series related to University of Oregon Sports, and provide regular updates and exclusive interviews on Comcast SportsNet’s daily sports news shows SportsNite and SportsRise.
“We are pleased to partner with the fastest growing sports outlet in the country, providing unlimited opportunity and exposure to Oregon fans that did not exist before,” said OSN President Tim Roberts. “This agreement allows us to build on our 20-year programming foundation with new and exciting programming for Duck fans everywhere. Through this new agreement, combined with the growth of Comcast SportNet, we expect that hundreds of thousands of Duck fans who didn’t receive any programming at all will now be able to be a part of the OSN family.”
Joe Giansante will serve as the play by play announcer for OSN broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet. Former Duck player and NFL star Anthony Newman serves as analyst for football. Rob Closs will serve as analyst for basketball and the inaugural baseball telecasts. Closs is a former Oregon letterman in both basketball and baseball.
In addition to game coverage, Comcast SportsNet’s comprehensive University of Oregon football programming will include:
Ducks Pre-Game Show – Before every Ducks regular season game, join this live show straight from the broadcast booth for in-depth opponent analysis, game expectations, and up-to-the-minute coverage of game-changing developments like injury reports, game-day strategy changes, and roster updates. Ducks Pre-Game Show will air for 30 minutes immediately before every game, live and delayed.
Ducks Post-Game Show – Tune into Comcast SportsNet for highlights, reaction and analysis following every live game produced on Comcast SportsNet by OSN.
Sunday Night with Mike Bellotti – a weekly 30-minute interactive coaches interview show featuring Ducks head coach Mike Bellotti reviewing the Ducks’ latest game, with never before seen and heard elements straight from the Oregon sideline and locker room. The show premieres on September 1st and airs every Sunday night from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 through the end of the season. It will re-air Sunday’s at 10:00 pm, and throughout the week on Comcast SportsNet
Sunday Night Live – a weekly 30 minute live show from Taylor’s Bar and Grill in Eugene featuring a live audience and a breakdown of the previous Duck game, plus a look at the upcoming opponent and the Pac-10. It will air at Sunday’s at 6:30 p.m. and will re-air at 10:30 pm, and throughout the week on Comcast SportsNet.
Special Coverage – Comcast SportsNet will air four Ducks’ specials, marking milestones of the football calendar: a preseason special, the Civil War, a bowl game special, and 2009 signing day.
In addition to being carried by Comcast Cable, Verizon, Ashland TV and Scio Cablevision, Comcast SportsNet continues to negotiate with other cable and satellite carriers to carry the network to sports fans across the Northwest. Viewers with cable and satellite providers that don’t currently carry Comcast SportsNet are encouraged to call their cable and satellite providers. Limited programming will also continue to be available on goducks.com.
In addition to the television agreement, OSN will soon introduce two new services; OSN Online, and OSN Mobile. These services will be available on Comcast SportsNet including daily interviews, videos and breaking Duck sports news straight to computers and mobile phones. Also, the new OSN In-Game experience will feature state-of-the art productions for new video boards purchased by OSN-IMG for football and baseball.
Very nice for those in Portland who get Comcast Cable; but, I repeat will we get Oregon Duck programs in Medford and Southern Oregon?
