There were no really big names playing this year (I.E. Mike Bush). This might have played into some decission.

St. X - Trinity... advertising would have been hot..... this was a fumbled opportunity for sure.

I was told by Insight Communications in Lousiville that the reason they dropped televising the games this year was a simple financial matter...

 

They were losing money hand over fist. According to Insight they couldn't even break-even.

 

It became too expensive a proposition for Insight Louisville to continue. I assume the same could be said for Insight N. KY. Given they televised a few games this year, one would have thought they could sell a sponsorship package up here for the NCC game??? :confused:

 

The upfront cost that the KHSAA asks for the rights to televise the games live goes up every year. Fact is, I think the KHSAA is afraid that live television will eventually hurt their gate, so they make it cost prohibative to have the state finals on Live television.

The upfront cost that the KHSAA asks for the rights to televise the games live goes up every year. Fact is, I think the KHSAA is afraid that live television will eventually hurt their gate, so they make it cost prohibative to have the state finals on Live television.

 

 

That could be the bottom line.

That could be the bottom line.

Couldn't be further from the truth. Insight paid a very minimal fee ($15000 according to the Board of Control recorded minutes I asked to see) for the rights to do the four football games, AND the finals of the boys and girls basketball tournament. That's less than $3000 per game for the six games to the KHSAA so that certainly has nothing to do with attendance. Statistics show that live TV DOES in fact hurt attendance, but not as much as people have thought over the years. Think about the weather this year at the football finals.... Also, though, unless it is U of L, Kansas, North Carolina, etc., how often is Rupp really full? That's because you can see nearly every game on some type of live TV.

 

The losing money hand over fist is probably true, but not because of the KHSAA. The costs of renting satellite trucks, camera crews, technical crews (it took 12 paid individuals this year just to do the scoreboard video and that wasn't even on TV, so you can imagine how many more people are needed for TV) is much greater than the costs involved with a minimal rights fee. It's just an expensive proposition and Insight made an early business decision (coincidentally right after the introduction of Proposal 20 to split the association) to not broadcast this year in any of the three tournaments. Probably felt that it would be a tough sell but who knows.

 

As for going up every year, the original contract when Insight announced it last year, fixed the fee at 15 for three years. Insight made a business decision, this one just turned out not to be the best one.

There were no really big names playing this year (I.E. Mike Bush). This might have played into some decission.

 

 

That has nothing to do with it.

The KHSAA lost too much money in year's past per the media relations department. I suppose too many instances of one person buying a tape and then making copies for their buddies instead of everyone buying a copy from the state. Also, bootlegging off of the TV broadcasts had to hurt sales as well. The KHSAA does have radio or "media" timeouts during the state high school basketball tournament.

 

 

They do not have timeouts in football for radio broadcast.

The upfront cost that the KHSAA asks for the rights to televise the games live goes up every year. Fact is, I think the KHSAA is afraid that live television will eventually hurt their gate, so they make it cost prohibative to have the state finals on Live television.

 

 

Exactly!