Due to all the changes in broadcasting rights, I expected to get a lot of questions from fans last year when state tournament time came and I certainly did. I was surprised to receive just as many (if not more) questions this year, as we head in to the second year of the five year contract. I decided it would be a good idea to explain it all right here where I can point the myriad concerned and confused fans who want to understand what happened and how they can keep up with their teams during state tournaments.
First and foremost, IdahoSports.com no longer holds the exclusive Internet video streaming rights to Idaho's high school state tournaments. After a decade of providing Idaho with free video webcasts of state tournament games all over Idaho, on April 6, 2016 the IHSAA Board of Directors voted to award these rights to a national company (NFHS Network) that requires viewers to pay a fee to watch their broadcasts. In return, the IHSAA receives $45,000 per year for the first three years and $65,000 per year each of the final two years of the five-year contract. ( Mike Lycklama of the Idaho Statesman wrote a good article on the whole thing.)
I was able to secure the exclusive Internet audio streaming rights in the summer of 2016 which allows us to at least provide free audio-only webcasts to the parents, fans, alumni of Idaho's high schools. Lemons, lemonade.
An additional agreement was also reached between the IHSAA and IdahoSports.com during that same time that would allow us to pay a small per-game fee to the IHSAA to video webcast any IHSAA state tournament events that the NFHS Network opts not to do. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to archive the video of those games after the live event is over without paying an additional $500 per game fee to the NFHS Network. However, we will be providing the audio of the broadcasts for on-demand listening.
This year for football the NFHS Network opted to only video webcast the 5A, 4A, and 3A semifinals and all six state championship games. Last week we were able to video webcast 20 of the 24 quarterfinal games statewide. This week we will be video webcasting all of the 2A, 1AD1 and 1AD2 semifinals and audio webcasting the 5A, 4A and 3A semifinals. Following that, we will be audio webcasting all six state championship games (as we like to say) LIVE & FREE!
Looking down the road to state basketball, IdahoSports.com will be providing audio-only webcasts of all 132 boys and girls state basketball tournament games, free of charge.
|