Sinclair Sports Net In Hockey Broadcast Deal

American Sports Network, a division of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Sinclair Networks Group, has made deals with several top collegiate hockey conferences to broadcast as many as 30 games per year, in total.

Under the agreements, ASN will air live collegiate hockey games from Hockey East, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, ECAC Hockey and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, Friday nights on Sinclair TV stations and other ASN broadcast and cable affiliates around the country. In addition, ASN has agreed to renew its agreement with the Big Ten Network to televise Big Ten Conference hockey events.

The slate of games in 2015-16 will open with a doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 23, when Notre Dame plays host to Minnesota-Duluth, followed by Air Force at Omaha in the grand opening game in Baxter Arena, the new on-campus home of Omaha Mavericks hockey. Also included in the schedule is a rematch of the championship game of the Frozen Four, as runner-up Boston University faces defending champion Providence on Nov. 13.

“We are pleased to enter into these relationships to deliver top college hockey in service of our communities,” said Doron Gorshein, COO of Sinclair Networks Group. “With these agreements, we continue to enhance our product offering and provide relevant, high quality live sports events for students, alumni and fans throughout our footprint.”

“Hockey East is excited about joining with the American Sports Network to bring the best of college hockey to fans across the country,” said Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna. “This innovative package marks a major step for our sport in how we promote our game. We look forward to a long relationship with ASN.”

“We are excited to work with ASN and Sinclair Broadcast Group to deliver exciting hockey to fans across the country,” said Josh Fenton, commissioner of the NCHC. “The ability to more widely distribute great NCHC action to our passionate fan base remains a focus for our member institutions. This new relationship with American Sports Network allows us to continue building our television platform.”

“Our agreement with American Sports Network represents an important step for the WCHA and is an exciting development for our fans, who now have more opportunities and greater access to watch tremendous college hockey,” said WCHA Commissioner Bill Robertson. “We applaud ASN’s commitment to growing television exposure for our sport and are thrilled to collaborate in showcasing the tremendous student-athletes, programs and member institutions of the WCHA.”

“We are excited to partner with the American Sports Network and Sinclair Broadcast Group,” said ECAC Hockey Commissioner Steve Hagwell. “This relationship provides ECAC Hockey with greater visibility and, most importantly, showcases our great member institutions not only to our loyal fan bases but to hockey fans across the country.”