Posted: Feb. 22, 2011
FOX Sports Arizona and the Phoenix Suns have announced a new long-term agreement that will make the network the Suns exclusive television rights holder beginning next season. Under the terms of the agreement, FOX Sports Arizona will televise approximately 75 games each year, making it the exclusive local television provider for Phoenix Suns games. Financial details were not disclosed.
With the previous television rights agreement, FOX Sports Arizona televised Suns home games only. Now, the network adds road games to its schedule and will deliver approximately 40 more telecasts to its viewers throughout Arizona. All Suns games will continue to be offered in High Definition on FOX Sports Arizona. The network started televising Suns games in 2003-04 and has offered approximately 30 regular season games every season since. The network will have the opportunity to televise select playoffs game as well.
“FOX Sports Arizona has enjoyed a tremendous eight-year partnership with the Phoenix Suns and we are pleased to now become the exclusive home for Suns basketball,” said Mike Connelly, FOX Sports Arizona Senior Vice President & General Manager. “This new agreement commences with the year our network celebrates its 15th anniversary and we look forward to providing Suns fans even more outstanding coverage for many years to come. This partnership shows the value of our network as we are now the exclusive local television home of not only the Suns, but the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona State University.”
“Over the eight years Suns games have aired on FOX Sports Arizona, we have built a tremendous relationship with their network based on how they approach our telecasts and how they care about our viewers,” said Rick Welts, Phoenix Suns President & Chief Executive Officer. “Making FOX Sports Arizona the exclusive local home of Suns telecasts is a great thing for our team and our fans who will always know where to find their Suns games.”
In addition to approximately 75 live game telecasts each season, FOX Sports Arizona will also continue to showcase the Phoenix Suns via numerous original programming options, including the Suns Live pre-game and post-game shows before and after every telecast, Suns Planet Orange Primetime, In My Own Words and Snapshot profiles.
FOX Sports Arizona, the region’s only all-sports regional television network, now has television rights deals with not only the Suns, but with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Phoenix Mercury, Northern Arizona University and New Mexico State University.
FOX Sports Arizona televises the most regional sports action in the state and is the exclusive cable television home of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Phoenix Mercury. FOX Sports Arizona is currently seen in 2.8 million households in Arizona & New Mexico and can also be seen across the country via home satellite services. For even more coverage of the local sports scene, log onto www.foxsportsarizona.com
Get to the Game when the Suns host the Atlanta Hawks tonight (Wednesday, February 23) at US Airways Center. A limited number of tickets are still available. Purchase yours today at Suns.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX.