U. Missouri is considering becoming one of the first universities in the nation to create its own sports television network, Athletics Department spokesman Chad Moller said. Television rights were a talking point earlier in the year, when both U. Nebraska and U. Colorado left the Big 12, to go to the Big Ten and the Pac-10, respectively.
Moller said an MU sports network would differ from existing stations owned by the university or operated by students, such as KOMU/Channel 8 and MUTV/Channel 23, because it could focus solely on sports broadcasting. Viewers could see a pregame show, the entire game, live with commentators, followed by a postgame show with interviews. This would all be a product of the student body.
Moller said the creation of an MU sports network wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
“(For) a 24/7 network, I would estimate, if it were to happen, it would be three to five years down the road due to the sheer volume of ground work and lead time which would be needed to build it properly, from equipment, to facilities, to personnel, to production, to distribution and marketing, et cetera,” Moller said.
When it comes to his personal opinion on the future of this plan, Moller said putting together a financially viable network would be challenging, but the athletic department is approaching it with an open mind and is considering all options.
The University of Oklahoma, a fellow Big 12 school, is also considering creating its own sports network.
“We are motivated to create something sooner rather than later, but obviously we can’t move until the infrastructure and distribution are set,” said Kenneth Mossman, University of Oklahoma Senior Associate Athletics Director.
Mossman said provided they do not run into any unforeseen problems, an Oklahoma University sports network could be feasible within five years.
Will Petersen, who served as MUTV’s sports executive for the 2009-10 academic year, said MU’s longtime student TV station could co-exist with a new sports-only MU network.
“MUTV could still exist if that were to happen, because they know that it’s more of a way to learn and I think that, if they were to do it, they’d want professionals,” Petersen said.