The University of Texas could get its own 24/7 sports network in the near future.
In what would be a first for college sports on television, the University of Texas is planning to launch its own 24/7 sports network, signaling a further move toward niche programming on cable and satellite.
Officials from the University of Texas have teamed up with the college sports unit of IMG Worldwide, a talent agency and licensing company, to negotiate distribution on Time Warner Cable (TWC), Comcast (CMCSA), and AT&T (T) in Texas and possibly in bordering states, says Pat Battle, a senior vice-president at IMG College. IMG has an agreement with the Austin (Tex.) school, which is part of the Big 12 Conference, to oversee its trademark licensing, marketing, and multimedia rights.
If the channel, tentatively named the Longhorn Sports Network, gets off the ground, it would be the first time a university has created its own sports network seeking broad distribution. “Texas has such an incredible fan base and such great content through all its sports programs,” says Battle, “that we feel a network like this will have a real following.” A spokesman for DeLoss Dodds, the UT athletics director, said he was unavailable for comment.
Hey, I’d rather have Texas jammed down my throat than Notre Dame, which is shown exclusively on NBC every Saturday. I don’t know if I need all-Longhorns, all the time…
