Utah Jazz Sign New TV Contract With FSN Utah (Channel 52) To Broadcast 77 Games This Season
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The Utah Jazz and FSN Utah have signed a contract extension through the 2020-21 NBA season which provides the network exclusive regional television rights to the storied franchise, it was announced today by Utah Jazz president Randy Rigby and FSN Utah Sr. VP/GM Tim Griggs.
The agreement allows FSN Utah to televise all available regular season games annually, increasing the number of games televised on the regional sports network by more than 175 percent since the 2004-05 season. FSN Utah aired 27 games during the 2004-05 season and that number increased to 40 games the following season before increasing to 60 games last season. The 77-game telecast schedule this season will be the most Jazz games ever on the network dating back to 1988-89.
“Our organization has a tremendous respect for FSN Utah, and its parent company Liberty Sports Group. We have always been impressed with their leadership, commitment to local sports and quality programming. We look forward to being a part of their network for the next 12 years,” said Rigby.
“The loyalty and passion of the Jazz fan base has consistently ranked among the highest in the league and that is a testament to Randy Rigby and the Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment Group having successfully cultivated a dedicated following throughout the state of Utah and the Rocky Mountain region,” said Griggs. “We are excited to be the exclusive regional television partner of the Utah Jazz, and we look forward to working together for many more years.”
Along with the contract extension, the Utah Jazz and FSN Utah today also released the Jazz broadcast schedule for the 2009-10 NBA season.
This season 77 regular season games will be televised by FSN Utah with each game broadcast in High Definition. The remaining five regular season games will be televised by TNT. For the fifth straight season, Craig Bolerjack will team with long-time Jazz analyst Ron Boone on all FSN Utah broadcasts.
All 77 broadcasts on FSN Utah will feature a 30-minute pre and postgame show, “Jazz Live,” along with a halftime show, each hosted by David James, Thurl Bailey and Pace Mannion.
“We are excited to present to our fans Jazz basketball in High Definition every game this season,” said Chris Baum, Senior Vice President of Broadcasting for the Utah Jazz. “We have a tremendous partner in FSN Utah helping make this possible. We are looking forward to another exciting NBA season.”
Of the 77 regular-season games FSN Utah will carry, 37 are home games and 40 are away. FSN Utah begins its broadcast schedule with the Jazz’s regular season opener October 28 at the Denver Nuggets. FSN Utah has been the regional television home for the Utah Jazz since the 1988-89 season.
With its unique and exclusive access to the Jazz, FSN Utah will further increase its position as the only regional network to get the most extensive, innovative and exciting coverage of Jazz basketball.
FSN Utah has the right to air Jazz games to viewers within the NBA-designated Utah Jazz territory, which includes the state of Utah and portions of Colorado, Nevada, Montana and Wyoming, along with territories in the FSN Northwest footprint (portions of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and the remaining portion of Montana).
All Jazz regular season and playoff games will be broadcast live on radio on 1320 KFAN (AM)/B98.7 (FM) and the Jazz Radio Network by David Locke, who enters his first season as the team’s radio voice.
We waited with anticipation for the new Jazz season. Last year we watched the Jazz on KJZZ and FSN, Espn and TNT. However, Friday October 30th there was no channel carrying the Jazz game. We subscribe to Dish network as we live in the country away from comcast or cable and according to DISH we will no longer be able to see the Jazz when televised on FSN (The majority of games)!! Our dismay is surely felt throughout the state of UTAH. Can you not televise locally?? Everyone can’t attend every game in Salt Lake and this “blackout” will eventually lead to fewer and fewer fans. Not exactly good for business or what the Jazz franchise had in mind! Very disappointed!
We subscribed to DISH yesterday… before subscribing, we specifically asked if we would be able to see the Utah Jazz games on FSN. The answer was YES… so we ahead with a two year subscription and DISH was installed this afternoon. Once the tech left, my first item of business was to find the Jazz game with Detroit tomorrow (Nov 21 2009) and program it on DVR. To my shock, we could not find it. Called DISH and asked where the JAZZ game was…. nobody could tell us. At this point I feel sick to my stomach at being deceived…. two more years to go now and no Jazz games. Not too happy here in Provo.
I totally agree with Peggy. Shame on the Jazz organization for making the Jazz games available to only those with the access and finances to sign up with the “right” cable provider. I became a Jazz fan as a child because of the availability to watch games free over the air on KJZZ. Now that I’m an adult I have a strong interest in the Jazz and will help to fill the seats in ESA. However, my kids will receive very little exposure to the Jazz because of the new FSN contract ‘blacking out’ the Jazz to a large majority of potential fans. I know it is a business, but if it continues to be run this way, I’d give the organization 10 years and they will start wondering why they can’t put butts in the seats at ESA. Unfortunately for sports fans, the MWC is doing the same thing. No more Utah or BYU fans being raised in my house either. I guess we will start supporting USU and the Cavilers, two teams that are regularly broadcast on over the air networks.
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