ESPN Pens Market Exclusive Deal with Bright House Sports Network
ORLANDO, FL (September 17, 2009) – Bright House Networks today announced that it has signed an agreement with ESPN Regional Television to carry a schedule of Southeastern Conference (SEC) games through the 2013-2014 season. Bright House Sports Network also extended its BIG EAST Conference deal through the 2012-2013 season, which includes continued coverage of University of South Florida football and men’s basketball games.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bright House Sports Network will offer its customers exclusive coverage of more than 150 SEC and BIG EAST sporting events including football, basketball, baseball and other Olympic sports.
The deal affects Bright House Networks’ customers in the Central Florida,Tampa Bay and Birmingham (AL) markets.
“Bright House Networks is thrilled to be able to offer its customers exclusive games from the BIG EAST and SEC Conferences,” said Elliott Wiser, Vice President, Corporate News and Local Programming. “September 17th marks the one-year anniversary of Bright House Sports Network, and this is the perfect way to celebrate this milestone. We are the leader in local sports in the Central Florida and Tampa Bay areas, and now, with the addition of market-exclusive SEC games, we’re bringing exceptional added value to all of our viewers.”
The first SEC game to air on Bright House Sports Network is Saturday, September 19, at 7:30 p.m., featuring Southeastern Louisiana at Ole Miss.
The SEC, which includes the University of Florida, the University of Alabama, Auburn, and the University of Georgia, has built one of the greatest traditions of intercollegiate competition in the country since its inception in 1933. The BIG EAST Conference, including the University of South Florida, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Syracuse, Villanova and Seton Hall, also features some of the most successful sporting programs in the nation. Bright House Sports Network also carries games from Conference USA, which includes the University of Central Florida.
As part of the agreement with ESPN Regional Television, Bright House Sports Network will also sponsor the Old Spice Classic, an early season basketball tournament set for November 26-29 at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla., and, two bowl games: the St. Petersburg Bowl on December 19thand the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham on January 2nd.
About Bright House Sports Network
Bright House Sports Network offers 24-hour local sports programming that features an array of local sporting events including live high school and college games as well as in-depth coverage of college and professional teams throughout the state. For more information about Bright House Sports Network programming, please visit www.bhsn.com.
About Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is the 7th largest multiple cable system operator (MSO) in the US with 2.4 million customers in several large cities including Tampa Bay and Orlando, Florida; Bakersfield, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; and Birmingham, Alabama; along with several other smaller regions in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The high-growth Florida markets are adjacent and form one of the country’s largest cable clusters. Bright House Networks’ corporate offices are located in Syracuse, New York and Orlando, Florida.
Bright House Networks is committed to putting customers in control and making their lives easier with products including Digital Cable, High Speed Internet, and Home Phone. The company also provides an ever-expanding catalog of Video-on-Demand (VOD) programming, the immensely popular Digital Video Recorders (DVR), and high-definition (HD) programming.
Exceptional customer care is the cornerstone of Bright House Networks’ business, and a top priority across all operating units. Bright House Networks was ranked the “Highest in Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction in the South Region” by J.D. Power and Associates in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. J.D. Power and Associates also ranked Bright House Networks the “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among High-Speed Internet Service Providers in the South Region” in 2008 and 2009.
In addition to their residential services, Bright House Networks Business Solutions (
www.brighthouse.com) provides products and services for small, medium, and enterprise businesses including Business Phone, Internet, Managed Security Services, Web Services, and Wireless Solutions.
Bright House Networks also owns and operates two 24-hour local news operations; Central Florida News 13 (
www.cfnews13.com) serving the Orlando area, and Bay News 9 (
www.baynews9.com) serving the Tampa Bay area. Recently, Bright House Sports Network (
www.bhsn.com) launched in Florida, providing local sports coverage across Tampa Bay and Orlando. Bright House Networks provides in-depth coverage of local sports including high school, college, and professional teams.
Public affairs, social responsibility, and community involvement continue to be major initiatives for Bright House Networks as an ongoing commitment to the families and communities Bright House Networks serves. This includes the
Star Teachers Award program, the
Bright Kids Network,
Operation Bright Eyes, and many more long-term commitments to education and other important issues in Bright House Networks communities.
For more information about Bright House Networks or our products and services, please visit (
www.brighthouse.com/business).
