Jan. 21, 2011

HIGHLIGHTS

• UT Athletics, ESPN and IMG College have agreed to a 20-year contract deal to create the Longhorn Network, a 24-hour television network dedicated to covering the university's intercollegiate athletics, music, cultural arts and academics programs.
• The launch date for the Longhorn Network is August 2011.
• ESPN will own/operate the network and will bring the experience, personnel and resources to make it successful.
• An attractive programming mix includes more than 200 exclusive games, news/information, original content and more.
• The new network will be made available to cable, satellite and telecommunications distributors within state, regional and national markets.
• A digital (broadband) presence will provide a compelling companion to the television network for overflow programming (e.g., simultaneous events or other overlapping programming).

FAQs

How many people will be hired? Talent? Exact plans, which are still being worked out, call for dozens of staff (mostly based in Austin), and like for all of ESPN's networks, guidance and resources will come from ESPN, Inc. in Bristol. On-air talent is yet to be determined. ESPN is setting up a presence on their human resources website (ESPNCareers.com) so those interested in working for the network can submit resumes electronically.

Who will handle advertising and affiliate sales for the network? IMG College will take the lead on ad sales efforts, while the ESPN affiliate team will oversee affiliate sales efforts.

Where will a studio be built? How big will it be? Plans are still coming together. We expect to have an on-campus presence in Austin. The exact location will be determined soon.

How will game selection work with this network and other distributors? As is the case with other college game selections, game inventory is determined within the parameters of existing agreements, however they may exist.

What outlet currently airs the 200-plus events that this network will offer? The more than 200 exclusive events will represent unprecedented exposure for the school's programs. Many of the events are not currently covered, while some are carried through local agreements involving IMG and FOX Sports.

What do you think the name of the network will be? Will ESPN be in the title? The 'Longhorn Network' was unveiled as the official network name in conjunction with the official logo for use in all printed, online and on-air instances. ESPN Senior Vice President, College Sports Programming, Burke Magnus, UT Men's Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds and UT Women's Athletics Director Chris Plonsky made this announcement on April 3, 2011, at the Longhorns' annual spring football game televised by ESPN.

Who will actually decide on the programming schedule? The network's staff will decide the programming schedule.

What are your digital plans? Will you simulcast the network on digital platforms? Will you offer other related digital content? We will look at digital possibilities, including authentication, as we work through our conversations with distributors. As of now, the broadband component is designed as a companion to the TV network, particularly in the cases of overflow programming (e.g., simultaneous events).