Sooner Sports TV = Longhorn Network Lite

by srr50 on Sep 12, 2025 7:09 PM CDT in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

OU and Fox Sport have officially kicked off a multimedia partnership that will create Sooner Sports TV -- OU's very own network, sort of.

What is the deal worth financially to OU? Your guess is as good as mine. Nobody is talking.

The agreement calls for 1,000 Hours of Sooner Programming to be Distributed Annually on FOX Sports Networks in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The programming will be featured on FOX Sports Oklahoma, FOX Sports Southwest, and FOX College Sports and is available in approximately 9 million TV homes in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana

Outside the four-state area Fox will make "Sooner Sports TV" available either on FOX College Sports (FCS) via cable providers or on outer market regional sports packages offered by cable or satellite providers.

The agreement "marks the beginning of a terrific opportunity to engage our entire university community in athletic, academic and cultural events all across our campus," David Boren, the Norman, Oklahoma-based university's president, said in the statement. "By providing unprecedented access to many areas of our university, millions of people across our state and nation will be able to see all of the truly great developments happening at OU."

Fox will offer an online component an "All Access" feature that live stream archived games and other features. The TV portion will feature the usual suspects: coaches' shows, press conferences, feature material, as well as a few live men's basketball games as well as live broadcasting of Olympic Sports on campus.

There is no mention of any live football games, I assume because this really isn't a network unto itself but rather a partnership with Fox Sports and therefore complicated by existing media contracts.

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Comments

From what I could gather today

I’m not certain they’re actually going to make much more than it will cost them to run it, at least in the beginning. I think that is a large part why everyone was so hesitant to talk about the financial side of things.

Now that could eventually change, specifically from advertising dollars not from FOX, but even then I don’t see it being close to anything resembling a financial windfall.

This dollar figure is a total guess on my part, but I think at it’s best OU would stand to make maybe a million or two from this “network” at the most. At that point, I think even calling it a "Longhorn Network Lite’ would be extremely generous.

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by Jordan Esco on Sep 12, 2025 7:29 PM CDT reply actions

so basically...

its akin to what UT had on Fox Sport SW for years just more extensive and in an official capacity. I remember watching (a student produced) Longhorn Sports Desk, and UT kickoffs/previews/wraps-up etc…sometimes under the Big12 heading but also under the Longhorn Sports Network heading too, year before the LHN was in existence.

"We are who we are. People say what they say. The outcome is the outcome. We are proud of ourselves." -DeLoss Dodds 9/21/2011

by TowerPower on Sep 12, 2025 8:15 PM CDT up reply actions

I think it will be a little more professional than that

But you’re probably not far off.

Actually just read some inside info that, if accurate, would put my estimate much too low. I won’t steal from the pay site I read it on, but know that OU is going to be significantly better off than I guessed above. The details will come out eventually since OU is a public university.

It’s not as much as UT gets for the LHN, but fwiw they’re saying it equates to more dollars per programming hour (yay, technicalities!).

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"Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets." - Ron Swanson
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by Jordan Esco on Sep 12, 2025 9:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks Jordan

You’re always a great objective resource for All Things Sooner.

by Scipio Tex on Sep 12, 2025 10:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Appreciate that

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"Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets." - Ron Swanson
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by Jordan Esco on Sep 13, 2025 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Ok, it's out there now.

If y’all still care, it’s being estimated that OU could make $5 million annually.

Follow @Jordan_Esco

"Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets." - Ron Swanson
Crimson and Cream Machine - There's only one Oklahoma!
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by Jordan Esco on Sep 13, 2025 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions

That is pretty amazing based on what the preliminary projections

for the LHN before espn got involved was only 3 million annually.

by The General on Sep 13, 2025 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions

A lot of exposure and 5 mil in the bank.

No downside for OU there.

by Scipio Tex on Sep 13, 2025 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Is it similar to Kansas State's agreement with Fox Sports Central?

I know I get a ton of Kansas State sports on that channel.

by Texas Wahoo on Sep 12, 2025 7:45 PM CDT reply actions

It looks like the deal Deloss was expecting to make with Fox

until ESPN walked into the room and unloaded a wheelbarrow full of money on the table.

by srr50 on Sep 12, 2025 7:45 PM CDT reply actions

OFF TOPIC: I Have Been Away Awhile

On the old site there was a weekly regular that put up score / spread predictions. I have completely forgotten his name but I really enjoyed his posts. Is this blogger still on the job?

by Flash1969 on Sep 12, 2025 8:02 PM CDT reply actions

Yes

Mafiahorn makes his weekly picks

"I swear -- by my life and my love for it -- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

by J Galt on Sep 12, 2025 11:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Glad to see you bak, SRR!

Just out of curiosity, am I interpreting the new Big 12 agreement correctly that each school will only be allowed to put 1 football game per year on a TV network dedicated to a specific school?

by Hoju on Sep 12, 2025 9:18 PM CDT reply actions

Oops! glad to see you BACK.

by Hoju on Sep 12, 2025 9:19 PM CDT up reply actions

It effectively cuts the number of available games down to one

since there are more opportunities for our network partners to pick up games for different platforms.

Thanks

by srr50 on Sep 12, 2025 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions

Real Difference

It sounds like the real difference is that someone can actually watch the OU network. So far, all I have seen of LHN is smoke and mirrors.

by Bishop Ray on Sep 12, 2025 9:21 PM CDT reply actions

re: LHN

It’s real, and it’s spectacular!

"You’d think some of these Ohio St guys would wear long sleeves, instead of reminding us why they were in trouble last year."
-Rich Eisen, 2012 NFL Combine

by TexaStunna on Sep 12, 2025 9:52 PM CDT up reply actions

The difference being...

This may not be anywhere near what LHN is, but PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT! I’m afraid that until LHN is available across the board, OU is beating us again.

by amarillotxhornfan on Sep 12, 2025 10:02 PM CDT reply actions

remind me how much OU is getting paid in comparison to UT

by armsch on Sep 12, 2025 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes,

money is one factor here. there are others that are equally if not more important. Brand exposure, for one.

It's all ball bearings nowadays, boys!

by ColbyA on Sep 13, 2025 12:41 AM CDT up reply actions

Nowhere near

Did that help?

Follow @Jordan_Esco

"Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets." - Ron Swanson
Crimson and Cream Machine - There's only one Oklahoma!
Listen to Sooner Nation, the #1 podcast for OU fans

by Jordan Esco on Sep 13, 2025 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions

LHN

If I can see sooner tv before the LHN I’am gonna be pissed

by super D on Sep 12, 2025 10:34 PM CDT reply actions

Hasn't this already launched?

Didn’t this launch at the beginning of the season? Have seen multiple programs on FSN already this year: OU Sooner Football Press Conference, OU Coach’s Corner, OU Sooner Football with Bob Stoops, OU Sooner Press Conference, OU Sooner Sports Game Day, OU Sooner Sports Overtime, OU Sooner Sports Pad, OU Sooner Sports Talk. All of these listed on the channel guide for the next 2 weeks.

by MR_HORNS on Sep 12, 2025 11:12 PM CDT via mobile reply actions