The University of Kentucky athletics department and Big Blue Sports Marketing announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Alltel Wednesday that provides fans continued free access to all available live and delayed radio broadcasts of UK athletic events via UKathletics.com, the athletic department?s official website.
As more schools move towards subscription and fee-based online media access, Alltel?s sponsorship support assures UK fans complimentary internet access to all radio programming on the Big Blue Sports Radio Network through the 2007-08 sports season.
?Following the Wildcats is such a treasured pastime in Kentucky, and this agreement continues to allow UK fans the opportunity to listen to the games online at no charge,? Associate Athletics Director Rick Thompson said. ?We appreciate Alltel supporting our efforts to provide for the best fans in the nation.?
The ten-year multi-media rights agreement signed in fall of 2004 between UK and Big Blue Sports Marketing, a division of Host Communications/Gray Television, provides for an expanded schedule of radio programming. All football, men?s and women?s basketball and baseball games will be broadcast on a live basis on all or portions of the Big Blue Sports Radio Network. Additionally, Host is committed to providing online audio streaming of all broadcasts on a live and delayed listening basis for all fans with Internet access.
Alltel?s association begins immediately with the 2005-06 men?s and women?s basketball season. In addition to complimentary online listening access, fans will enjoy the innovative ?Alltel Virtual Videoboard,? an on-screen promotional graphic present during all live and delayed audio streaming broadcasts.
According to Dan Powell, Area President of Alltel, ?We are always looking for creative, meaningful ways to partner with our university clients. We feel this sponsorship is a perfect compliment to our long-term relationship with UK, offering a win-win arrangement for Alltel, UK athletics and most importantly, Wildcat fans around the world.?
The Alltel agreement includes several additional sponsorship elements associated with the university?s athletic program, including a soon-to-be launched desktop UK sports news alert program entitled ?Big Blue Alert?.
