Austin Radio: IMG, ARN Ink New U-T Sports Deal

Texas Athletics and IMG-College/Longhorn Sports Marketing announced Tuesday that the Austin Radio Network will become the new radio home for Texas Athletics.

The multi-year partnership between ARN and IMG will bring fans more live Longhorns athletics events and shoulder programming while adding a Spanish-language football broadcast flagship, beginning with the 2015 football season.

IMG, a global sports and media leader which manages Texas Athletics’ multi-media rights, negotiated the deal on behalf of the university.

ARN will simulcast across its platform of four FM radio stations and two AM stations live Longhorns sports events including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, and Longhorn Weekly coaches’ shows. ARN’s KTXX 104.9 FM “The Horn” will become the new flagship station.

KTXX 104.9 FM (3.2 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

The new broadcast rights partnership includes promotion across all of ARN’s six Austin stations and will bring fans more live game broadcasts, including the addition of softball, and new Longhorns news and talk programs.

Through a co-venture with Fiesta 97.1 FM and KXNZ 1530 AM, ARN will broadcast all Longhorns football games in Spanish.

“Our new partnership with ARN will bring more Longhorn events and coverage to fans in Austin,” said Scott Willingham, General Manager of Longhorns IMG Sports Marketing.  “We’re particularly excited about an abundance of programming in addition to football, including more exposure for Longhorns’ Olympic sports. The university’s student-athletes, teams, fans, and corporate supporters will all benefit.”

No changes are anticipated for the Longhorn IMG Radio Network talent or crew for the 2015 football season.

“I want to thank IMG for their hard work and commitment in bringing a valuable broadcast partner into the Longhorns family. I’m impressed with ARN’s commitment to aggressively promoting all Longhorns sports in new and innovative ways,” said Steve Patterson, Texas Men’s Athletics Director. “Games will be heard by more fans, in more places, than ever before. ARN is a creative, home-grown commodity that has a genuine passion for The University of Texas and our community.”

Longhorn IMG Radio Network broadcasts for football, men’s basketball and coaches shows are available statewide on more than 30 radio stations. Texas games also will be streamed live world-wide (without cost) to Longhorns fans on TexasSports.com and on a separate digital streaming platform that is being developed in collaboration with ARN. The platform will feature live and archived content.

Bob Cole

“Since 1893, The University of Texas Longhorns Athletics programs have been the absolute definition of hometown sports in Austin, Texas,” said Bob Cole, ARN’s Chief Executive Officer. “In 2012, we formed the Austin Radio Network, dedicated to the return of ‘hometown radio’ – both in ownership and programming. ARN is founded on the basic principle of being ‘hyper-local.’ We don’t hesitate or apologize for going over-the-top in exhibiting any and all of the unique assets that embody the heart and soul of Austin’s proud culture. Being locally owned is just the beginning. Being entrusted with the responsibility of broadcasting from UT’s biggest stage is truly prime-time! We are abundantly grateful for the confidence placed in us by IMG. Our staff is as enthused, as we are humbled.”

Texas and IMG College officials announced Tuesday that Austin Radio Network, a group of six Austin area stations stitched together by Bob Cole and a group of investors, has won a seven-year contract to broadcast University of Texas sports.

Brian Davis at the Statesman writes to understand the magnitude of the deal, think of ARN as David and iHeart Media, formally known as Clear Channel, as Goliath. Twenty years ago, KVET-AM carried the slingshot and won the radio rights away from powerhouse KLBJ.

“No one — and I mean no one — believed back then in 1994 and ’95 that you could separate politically the LBJ family and the university,” Cole said. “We worked hard to prove that we could do things that couldn’t be done, and we got it.”

It’s not going to be easy, though. “The cost to us, our real cost, is about $1 million per year,” Cole said.

An undisclosed amount goes to IMG, the on-air talent and costs associated with the broadcast. Cole said he’ll have to recoup his annual investment through local ads on the broadcast. IMG is responsible for selling ads that air statewide.