MHSAA, Comcast to put high school sports on TV
Thu, Sep 4, 2008 
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EAST LANSING — The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and Comcast recently announced the launch of the MHSAA Network, a new cross-platform endeavor which will deliver Comcast digital cable customers unprecedented coverage of local high school sports on TV, On Demand and online.
When We Were Young Productions will be responsible for the production of the content for the MHSAA Network, which will include over 400 hours of programming during the fall sports season alone.
"This is a partnership that will capture the true flavor of high school sports, providing coverage of all MHSAA tournament sports, from all sizes of schools from all parts of the state," said MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts.
"The MHSAA Network will offer fans the opportunity to view all of this content on different delivery platforms, responding to how technology is changing the way people get information about high school sports. We're excited that Comcast is joining us to help bring recognition to our schools, teams, student-athletes and communities."
"Comcast is committed to constantly enhancing the value we provide our customers and our partnership with the MHSAA is just the latest example of how we are delivering on that promise in Michigan," said Dave Buhl, Senior Vice President for Comcast's Michigan Region.
"With our unique On Demand technology, we're ensuring that Comcast remains the number one destination for sports fans to catch all the hometown action."
Starting Sept. 3, Comcast customers across Michigan will have access to more than 400 hours of MHSAA programming, including statewide games of the week in select sports, such as football and volleyball, and pre-final rounds of a variety of MHSAA Tournaments that will air on a delayed basis. Programs will receive their first airings Wednesday evenings, with replays on the following Saturdays and Sundays during the midday and evening time periods. The schedule for the first week of games, with coverage of tomorrow's Blissfield at Sand Creek football game and Friday's Big Day Prep Showdown contests in Ypsilanti, can be found on the TV-Radio page of the MHSAA Website.
Those match-ups and additional games will also be available through Comcast's signature On Demand service, allowing fans to tune in whenever it's convenient for them with the ability to pause, fast-forward and rewind their selections to catch the best action again and again. Viewers can watch the MHSAA Network On Demand programming by accessing the On Demand menu, choosing the "Get Local" category and clicking the "MHSAA" folder. . Like the majority of Comcast's 10,000
On Demand programs, the MHSAA Network is available to digital cable customers at no additional cost.
The coverage will also be distributed via the Internet on MHSAA.TV, a brand which originally launched during the 2007-08 school year, showing live Semifinal contests in Girls and Boys Basketball, and Final games in Baseball and Softball. All of the content distributed on cable will also be available on MHSAA.TV, with a number of Final and Semifinal events being streamed live. The MHSAA.TV website will debut in mid to late September.
The nearly 200 MHSAA fall match-ups, which can be viewed on the Comcast TV Network channels (Channels 900 and 901) and On Demand, include weekly football games, girls volleyball and boys soccer matches, along with live coverage of the MHSAA Girls Volleyball Finals, one live Semifinal football playoff game, and delayed coverage of boys soccer championship games and finals meets in Lower Peninsula girls swimming and diving. Highlights programs will offer action from cross country, Lower Peninsula girls golf, Lower Peninsula boys tennis and Upper Peninsula girls tennis. The winter and spring seasons will likely offer up to 1,000 hours of additional programming.
FSN Detroit will continue its tradition of carrying MHSAA Finals in girls and boys basketball in addition to football as it has for the past decade. Additional cable clearances will be announced as they are secured.
