The Jacksonville Jaguars and Sunshine Network today announced a new telecast agreement that begins with the 2001 football season and signals a new era in regional cable television coverage for the Jaguars with unmatched distribution to more than 5.4 million homes statewide.
All three Florida NFL teams have now chosen Sunshine Network as their exclusive regional sports network partner in Florida. The Jaguars and Sunshine Network previously partnered from 1996 to '97. The announcement was made by Dan Connell, Jaguars senior vice president/marketing, and Sunshine corporate vice president and general manager Jim Liberatore.
"We are pleased to return for a new partnership with Sunshine Network," Connell said. "Our fan base has spread across the state of Florida as we have grown, and Sunshine brings us into the homes of more fans and more potential fans than ever before. We're excited about our programs and are looking forward to a relationship which will be mutually beneficial and rewarding for the Jaguars, for Sunshine Network, and most of all for Florida's football fans."
The agreement provides Sunshine Network with the exclusive statewide cable rights to replays of all non-national network preseason games. Those games will air twice on Sunshine Network - on a same-day delay basis at 11:30 p.m. and again at some point over the next few days. Also included are the statewide cable rights to replay "The Tom Coughlin Show" Sunday mornings at 11 or 11:30 am. (ET).
Unique to the agreement is the creation of two new in-season shows, which will be exclusive to Sunshine Network. One will be a Mid-Week Match-Up Show (time & title TBA) previewing the team's next game, and the other will be a Monday Night Pre-Game Show (time & title TBA). The Monday Night Pre-Game Show will air only outside the Jacksonville market on Monday, December 3 when the Jaguars host the Green Bay Packers at ALLTEL Stadium.
Sunshine Network will also continue to provide Jacksonville Jaguars features and interviews on the network's two sports news shows, "Sunshine Network LIVE!," weeknights at 6:30 p.m. and "NEXTEL Florida Sports News," weeknights at 10 p.m. Sunshine reporters Barry Milligan and Dan Hicken cover the Jaguars year-round for both programs.
Additional programming includes six hours of specials each calendar year. A sponsorship/promotional package is also included in the agreement, which will provide additional exposure for the team through the network's website, radio show and other promotional vehicles.
"We welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars back to Sunshine Network," said Liberatore. "As one of the state's premier professional sports franchises, the Jaguars consistently deliver a high-quality product both on and off the field. Adding their programming to our lineup further establishes Sunshine Network as the state's leading regional sports network and clearly brings added opportunities to our ever-expanding sports news coverage. With all three Florida NFL teams now partnered with us, Sunshine Network can deliver the best and most comprehensive statewide coverage of NFL football in the Sunshine State."
Sunshine Network boasts one of the most impressive lineups of local and regional teams and events in the country. In addition to the Jaguars, Sunshine currently has agreements with 10 pro teams: the NBA Orlando Magic, NBA Miami Heat, NFL Miami Dolphins, NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NHL Tampa Bay Lightning, IHL Orlando Solar Bears, AFL Tampa Bay Storm, MLS Tampa Bay Mutiny and WNBA Orlando Miracle and Miami Sol. Sunshine Network also has agreements with collegiate powerhouses Florida State University, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the ACC, SEC, MEAC, and TAAC conferences. The Florida High School Activities Association (FHSAA) is also partnered with Sunshine Network for their championship events and other programs. Signature original series on the network include "Florida Sports Profiles," "Dodge High School Champions Series," "Mercedes Benz Florida Golf Scene," plus the network's news programs, "Sunshine Network LIVE!" and "NEXTEL Florida Sports News" and much, much more.
