History
The radio network was established in September 1968 [2] for the purpose of broadcasting football and basketball games to select radio stations across the state of Kentucky. Prior to this, individual stations in central Kentucky each held their own coverage of the games. The original group rightsholder was Host Communications. Later on, the broadcast syndicator of the UK Sports Network was Sports Productions, a joint venture of Host Communications, CBS television affiliate WKYT-TV of Lexington, and radio stations WVLK of Lexington and WHAS of Louisville. Cawood Ledford and Ralph Hacker were the first play-by-play commentators for the network. [2]
In 2007, HOST Communications, a college sports marketing company based in the university's home city of Lexington, that had operated the Big Blue Sports Network, was purchased by the entertainment management company IMG. However, the name of the network did not change until the 2010–11 academic year.
On June 23, 2014, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced that JMI Sports, owned by former San Diego Padres owner John Moores, had been awarded the multimedia rights to all University of Kentucky sports teams. UK's contract with JMI Sports was to initially begin upon the expiration of the university's contract with IMG College in April 2015. The university's contract with JMI include:
- Radio rights to UK's football, men's and women's basketball and baseball games (Television rights are covered by Southeastern Conference broadcasting arrangements, including the SEC Network);
- Stadium and arena corporate signage and game programs for all home UK events. (Prior to 2018, Rupp Arena corporate signage was managed by Learfield Sports (Rupp Arena Sports and Entertainment Properties) under a contract with the Lexington Center Corporation (LCC), who manages the arena for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. In 2018, control of all multimedia rights for the Lexington Center (including Rupp Arena), including naming rights, were turned over to the university, who subsequently awarded those rights to JMI.);
- Naming rights to university athletics facilities and premium areas;
- Sponsorship on UKathletics.com;
- Game sponsorships and game promotions;
- Coaches' endorsements;
- Pre and postgame television shows and specials and postseason highlight DVDs;
- Video features on video boards;
- Opportunities to develop UK Athletics Corporate Partnership Program; and
- The potential, at the university's discretion, to market campus multimedia rights, creating the potential for an integrated approach to multimedia rights and marketing. [3]
On October 27, 2014, JMI Sports announced that they had bought out the final year of IMG's contract with the University of Kentucky. As part of that agreement with IMG, JMI immediately took over management of the entire University of Kentucky's Sports Marketing program, including the UK Sports Network. [4]
On January 27, 2020, it was announced that Lexington Center's overall naming rights were sold to Central Bank, a local community bank, by the Lexington Center Corporation and JMI Sports. The Rupp name will continue to receive primacy in the fourteen-year agreement for the arena portion of the complex, and be known as "Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center". [5]
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