In the Fall of 2018, the NFHS Network, via the OSAA, notified JCTV and RamTV that they, the NFHS, were exercising their “right” to broadcast all rounds of those schools’ playoff football games. This meant that JCTV, Jesuit’s student broadcast program, and RamTV, operated by Oregon SportsBeat, would be excluded from representing their teams in the playoffs. Lincoln Cardinal Football’s broadcasting team was also excluded from covering it’s team during the playoffs. Meanwhile, 90 schools from all 6 classifications who played that same evening, November 2nd, 2018 did not have any live video coverage of their game.
JCTV, RamTV, and LCF Broadcasting represent 3 of the remaining non-NFHS-affiliated school based broadcast programs in the state of Oregon. There are currently over 300 schools that do not, yet, have any broadcast program set up at their school. This number will decrease rapidly as technology becomes more accessible and easier to use in the future.
The NFHS Network goal is to create a monopoly in the high school sports broadcasting market in Oregon. An uncontrolled monopoly has 2 distinct characteristics:
- Poor Quality. There is no alternative to service, so there is no incentive to provide a good product. This is a bad deal for schools, players, and programs represented by the product, and of course a bad deal for any fan who wants to watch. Ultimately, this is bad deal for the OSAA because it makes the association management look like they don’t care about the product they are claiming to manage. Good deal for the NFHS, less work for them.
- High Prices. Again, there is no alternative service, so prices can be fixed at whatever price they want. Is this revenue being passed on to OSAA member schools? No one I’ve talked to has heard of this money trickling down to the member schools. Remember when OSAA Championship Events were on network television for free? If you do, then you remember a time when high school sports was relevant in this State. Who is working on that? Not the NFHS Network.
This is an important issue because it directly affects every OSAA member school in the state of Oregon. It affects every fan, every player, every community. and every kid who will either grow up in a world that was thoughtfully crafted by people who live here, or was sold out to a profit gathering media behemoth with no local interest or ties to Oregon. High school sports relevancy in future mainstream discussion will be determined by decisions made today.
I propose that the OSAA immediately stops letting the NFHS expand it’s reach into the state of Oregon. There are better alternatives available!
History
2019
As of 8/22/19, talks with NFHS have come to a standstill. No response from NHFS. Read detailed account here.
As of 8/6/19, Oregon SportsBeat is in talks with the OSAA and the NFHS Network about re-negotiating live playoff broadcast rights in OSAA contests for the Fall of 2019.
In 2012 the governing body of high school sports in Oregon sold the exclusive broadcast rights to all playoff events for all sports to a company based in Atlanta. Details of the contract in place between these two organizations have not been disclosed to those outside of the state delegate assembly.
Meanwhile, in 2019 there are multiple broadcast companies based in Oregon that are trying to promote high school sports, and are being prevented from operating during playoffs by the contract in place between the state organization and the national federation.
There are a number of results of the restrictions in place under this current contract, including:
Players- get significantly reduced exposure.
Fans- get limited access to games. Meanwhile, high school sports viewership continues to decline since the dawn of the internet age.
Schools and athletic programs- inability to develop own media program due to hijacked media rights.
Sponsors- cannot both support their favorite team and get a measurable return on investment.
Other media providers- designed to promote high school sports locally and being prevented from doing so.
2018
Click on the link below for a summary of developments in 2018