Jayhawk TV Network changes; distribution expanded
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The award-winning in-house video unit of Kansas Athletics, Rock Chalk Video, will be playing a bigger role in the department as the result of an enhanced deal with ESPN, Kansas Athletics officials announced Thursday. Rock Chalk Video will produce a combination of nearly 200 live events and Kansas-centered shoulder programming during the 2018-19 academic year for the ESPN+ direct-to-consumer streaming platform and the ESPN app nationwide, without any blackouts.
In addition to ESPN+, KU fans will also be able to see various Jayhawk TV Network programming throughout the state of Kansas and in the Kansas City Metro Area on KMCI (38 The Spot, Kansas City), Spectrum Sports, Midco Sports Network, and Cox Cable.
Rock Chalk Video, in collaboration with Jayhawk IMG Sports Marketing, will produce the standard Tier 3 offerings like the lone non-Fox/ESPN football game (which this season is the opener against Nicholls State on Sept. 1), six men’s basketball games (including the two exhibition contests), Late Night in the Phog and the spring football game. All nine of those events will be seen live, blackout-free, nationally through ESPN+ via the ESPN app, as well as regionally on KMCI and Cox Cable.
The programming will also include Jayhawk Gameday Live, a 30-minute pregame show and a 60-minute postgame show, on every home and away Kansas football and men’s basketball game day, as well as Hawk Talks on tape delay. For the first time, that content will be available across the country on the ESPN app, as well as regionally on KMCI, Spectrum Sports, Midco Sports Network and Cox Cable.
“We are thrilled to have an inclusive and expanded media coverage solution for our KU alumni and fans,” Kansas Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “A special note of thanks to Spectrum Sports for not only elevating our coverage over the last four years, but for helping us get to this point with an internal production solution. With our over-the-air and cable partners, paired with our ESPN+ agreement, we are pleased that more Jayhawks than ever will be able to follow us.”
Rock Chalk Video has already started the expanded coverage of live KU events, so stay tuned to KUAthletics.com or ESPN+ for a complete listing of all Jayhawk programming.
ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Programming on ESPN+ includes thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, , exclusive Top Rank boxing, UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic soccer (Serie A, FA Cup, MLS, English Football League, UEFA Nations League, Eredivise, USL and more), rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
