University of North Carolina Athletics
Football Radio Broadcasts to be Available on TarHeelBlue.com Again in 2003
August 25, 2003 | Football
Aug. 25, 2003
CHAPEL HILL -- Tar Heel Sports Marketing and Yahoo! will once again provide UNC fans access to Internet audio streaming of selected programming. All programming will be based on a subscription (pay-to-listen) model. In 2002-03, the programming was provided at no cost.
This change is being required at most Division I schools across the country. The official athletic department website, TarHeelBlue.com, will continue to provide a link to Yahoo! broadcasts of UNC's football, men's basketball, women's basketball and baseball games.
The broadcasts will be offered in the following two subscription packages:
1. Individual School Subscriptions - users can purchase access to all UNC streamed broadcasts on a monthly or annual basis. For example, users can pay $4.95 per month or $29.95 per year to gain access to all streamed broadcasts for UNC sports.
2. Integrated into the Basic "Yahoo! Platinum" - each school will be integrated into and offered as part of the basic Platinum subscription for $9.95 per month. This package allows users to get access to all the content within Yahoo! Platinum, including all college broadcasts, NASCAR, ABC News, etc.
Yahoo! Platinum is a subscription-based media service that offers the top names in sports, news and entertainment. It was developed with both the broadband and narrowband users in mind and is currently being offered for $9.95 per month.
"The Internet landscape has evolved as the medium has become a part of millions of households," says Gary Sobba, General Manager of Tar Heel Sports Marketing, which has the multi-media rights for Carolina athletics. "Internet service providers and companies that provide specialty services on the internet (such as audio & video streaming) have found the current advertising marketplace will not support continued free services to the consumer. In order for such services to continue to be provided companies must have a means of financially supporting their technology."
A number of professional sports including Major League Baseball and the NBA previously went to a pay-to-listen model.
