By Danny Hooley, Staff Writer
Good news, ACC fans with high-definition TVs: You'll be seeing basketball games in HD just in time for March Madness.
So says Colin Smith, vice president of distribution at Raycom Sports, which distributes ACC games for broadcast in partnership with Lincoln Financial Sports.
Smith said that the 10 tournament games being distributed by Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports (the 11th game at 7 p.m. March 8 will be carried on ESPN2) will be available for local affiliates like WRAL in HD.
The current situation, in which games are available only in ACC territory in standard definition, has been galling for fans across the Southeast. Many of the same games they see on local affiliates in standard definition are available outside the ACC region in high definition.
That's because Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports, which owns the exclusive distribution rights, hasn't been offering a high-definition package to affiliates, including WRAL in Raleigh. So while fans across the nation were enjoying last Wednesday's Duke-UNC game in high definition on ESPN, that broadcast was blacked out for hardcore fans in the Triangle. (FCC requirements and exclusivity clauses prohibit two broadcasts of a game in the same market.)
For the full story, see Saturday's N&O sports section.
Bad news is Dish and the local CBS station have not signed an agreement yet...oh well OTA it is
Good news, ACC fans with high-definition TVs: You'll be seeing basketball games in HD just in time for March Madness.
So says Colin Smith, vice president of distribution at Raycom Sports, which distributes ACC games for broadcast in partnership with Lincoln Financial Sports.
Smith said that the 10 tournament games being distributed by Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports (the 11th game at 7 p.m. March 8 will be carried on ESPN2) will be available for local affiliates like WRAL in HD.
The current situation, in which games are available only in ACC territory in standard definition, has been galling for fans across the Southeast. Many of the same games they see on local affiliates in standard definition are available outside the ACC region in high definition.
That's because Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports, which owns the exclusive distribution rights, hasn't been offering a high-definition package to affiliates, including WRAL in Raleigh. So while fans across the nation were enjoying last Wednesday's Duke-UNC game in high definition on ESPN, that broadcast was blacked out for hardcore fans in the Triangle. (FCC requirements and exclusivity clauses prohibit two broadcasts of a game in the same market.)
For the full story, see Saturday's N&O sports section.
Bad news is Dish and the local CBS station have not signed an agreement yet...oh well OTA it is
