LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville and its exclusive athletics multimedia rights holder, Learfield’s Louisville Sports Properties, have agreed to a new five-year partnership with iHeartMedia to extend broadcast rights for multiple Cardinal Athletics programming.
The new agreement, which will be effective from 2017-22, includes extended coverage of all University of Louisville football and men’s and women’s basketball games as well as the Rick Pitino and Bobby Petrino coaches shows.
NewsRadio 840 WHAS in Louisville (WHAS-AM), Rewind 105.5 in Lexington (WWRW-FM), ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati (WCKY-AM) and in Somerset (WSFE-AM) will carry the live football and men’s basketball games, including pregame and postgame programming, as well as the coaches’ shows for each. Specific conflicts with 840 WHAS will be moved to 790 KRD (WKRD-AM). Women’s basketball games will continue to air on 790 KRD.
840 WHAS has carried UofL events for the past 36 years, broadcasting Cardinal games since 1980.
“We’re excited to be working with iHeartMedia and growing a partnership that has been around since the early 80’s,” said UofL Vice President/Director of Athletics Tom Jurich. “Adding this extended coverage for our sports programs allows us to enhance the connection with Cardinal fans and alumni everywhere. I sincerely appreciate the leadership of Earl Jones in working with us and our marketing partner to develop a wide approach that our fans will enjoy.”
“UofL athletics has a rich tradition we’re proud to be a part of,” said iHeartmedia’s Kentucky-Indiana Region President Earl Jones. “We’re looking forward to working with the staff at Louisville Sports Properties and continuing to broadcast Cardinal athletics like we have for so many years.”
“It’s important for us to provide quality partners and affiliates to broadcast UofL Athletics and I’m pleased we’ll continue our longstanding and solid partnership with iHeartMedia,” said General Manager of Louisville Sports Properties John Penny. “Their knowledge of the market and strength and reach of the 840 WHAS signal has proven to be a great match for broadcasting UofL athletic events.”
Nationwide coverage of the Cardinals’ games will expand with inclusion on the iHeartRadio and TuneIn apps for mobile devices. Games will remain on Sirius/XM satellite radio, providing coverage across the entire continental United States, as well as www.GoCards.com, the official UofL athletics web site.
Louisville Sports Properties will extend the Cardinals’ current network of stations for game coverage across the state of Kentucky, a group which last season also included WYMC in Mayfield, WLME in Owensboro, WPAD in Paducah, WCCK in Calvert City, WKDO in Liberty and WWXL in Manchester.
Cards Radio 790 KRD will continue to be formatted, promoted and branded as a station primarily focused on UofL sports, news and programming. Cardinal-centric shows, like the “Cardinal Insider” with Jody Demling, will continue weekdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m., as well as the “The Afternoon Underdogs” with Tony Vanetti and Dave Jennings from 3-5:30 p.m. “The Afternoon Underdogs” will expand a half-hour to 6 p.m. when the new agreement starts next year, with the “Insider” shifting to 6-7 p.m.
New UofL featured programs on 790 KRD have recently expanded to include weekday shows “Louisville First” with Howie Lindsey and contributors Matt Willinger and Katie George from 7-10 a.m.; and “The Red Zone” with Nick Coffey from noon until 3 p.m.
Multiple remotes from UofL campus venues, expanded promotional announcements throughout a cluster of iHeartMedia stations, and an option to begin 24-hour programming on one of iHeartMedia’s local HD2 signals are all new and expanded features of the new radio agreement.
An industry leader for more than four decades, Learfield has a deep presence in the college athletics landscape nationwide. It manages the multimedia and sponsorship rights for more than 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments at all competitive levels as title sponsor of the prestigious Learfield Directors’ Cup. Learfield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales; licensing and trademark consulting; digital platform expertise; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies. For more about Learfield’s history, businesses and career opportunities, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
About iHeartMedia
With over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S and over 80 million social followers, iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. It serves over 150 markets through 858 owned radio stations, and the company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM, HD digital radio, satellite radio, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company’s radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile app, in enhanced auto dashes, on tablets and smartphones, and on gaming consoles. iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s digital radio platform, is the No. 1 all-in-one digital audio service with over 800 million downloads; it reached its first 20 million registered users faster than any digital service in Internet history and reached 70 million users faster than any other radio or digital music service and even faster than Facebook. The company’s operations include radio broadcasting, online, mobile, digital and social media, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (OTCBB: IHRT). Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.