With a five-year extension of their radio rights agreement, the University of Hawaii athletics will be taking its partnership with KKEA (1420-AM, 92.7-FM) and KHKA (1500-AM) past the 30-year mark.
UH is to receive $1,057,000 in cash over the length of the deal plus more than $1.1 million in “in kind” support in the form of commercials, vignettes and other services, according to a copy of the contract obtained under an open records request. The previous deal was worth $900,000 in cash plus “in kind” support.
Athletic director David Matlin called the deal, which runs through the 2023-24 school year, “one of the most comprehensive radio partnerships in the country. We are excited that our radio partnership covers seven of our programs, which provides great coverage for both Wahine and men’s programs.”
The agreement is with Blow Up LLC, the Federal Communications Commission licensee and the parent corporation for KKEA and its “sister” station KHKA. KKEA brands itself as ESPN 1420.
Terms of the agreement call for KKEA to carry all home, away and postseason contests of four teams, Rainbow Wahine volleyball and Rainbow Warriors football, basketball and baseball. In addition, all home men’s volleyball and women’s basketball contests must be carried.
“We have also had conversations about additional broadcasts contingent on team success and fan interest,” Matlin said.
The station is responsible for selecting on-air broadcasters, subject to approval from UH.
UH’s local television and pay-per-view rights are held by Spectrum, whose eight-year contract entered its final year July 1. That agreement grants Spectrum an exclusive 90-day negotiating window during the final year.
But those negotiations likely won’t be completed until after the Mountain West Conference, where UH is a football-only member, concludes its deal for 2020 and beyond.
The MWC is in negotiations with its primary TV partners, CBS and ESPN, and those could impact UH’s local inventory.