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MINNESOTA WILD ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH KMSP, UPN 9 AS THE EXCLUSIVE OVER-THE-AIR BROADCAST PARTNER
[February 10, 2000] -- The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced today that the club has signed an exclusive five-year over-the-air television broadcast agreement with KMSP, UPN 9 to telecast Minnesota Wild home and away hockey games, starting with the Wild’s inaugural 2000-2001 NHL season. As per club policy, no financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.
KMSP, UPN 9 will televise between 22-25 regular season games per season over the five-year agreement that runs through the 2004-2005 NHL season. KMSP, UPN 9 will also have the right to broadcast selected Minnesota Wild Stanley Cup contests in the first and second rounds. Additionally, KMSP, UPN 9 will produce unique Wild programming that includes pre-season and post-season specials and programming surrounding the NHL Expansion and Entry Drafts. This agreement will also provide strong promotional, community and marketing opportunities between the Minnesota Wild and KMSP, UPN 9.
“We are extremely excited to be partners with Stu Swartz and the entire KMSP, UPN 9 family. It is exciting to be associated with a prestigious station that gives us great credibility and validates our goal of being a franchise for the entire Upper Midwest region,” said Wild President Tod Leiweke. “KMSP, UPN 9’s outstanding viewer reach in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota will serve our fans and help achieve our vision of being a regional-based franchise.”
Through its cable and translator penetration KMSP, UPN 9 can reach more Minnesotans than any other television station. Based on Nielsen TV and Cable TV household estimates, KMSP, UPN 9 can reach a total of more than 1.7 million households in and outside the Twin Cities metro area. The Eden Prairie, Minn. based KMSP, UPN 9 is owned by United Television, Inc.
“We are looking forward to the NHL’s return to the state of Minnesota and we can’t wait to start televising the inaugural Minnesota Wild season,” said KMSP, UPN 9 General Manager Stuart Swartz. “This agreement maintains our station’s position as the Twin Cities leader in local over-the-air sports broadcasting.”
KMSP, UPN 9 has a strong tradition of covering hockey in Minnesota including broadcasting Minnesota North Stars games and the Minnesota State High School League Boys and Girls State Hockey Tournaments. Additional sports coverage on KMSP, UPN 9 includes Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota State High League Basketball Tournaments and the Minnesota State High School League Football Tournament’s Prep Bowl.
The Minnesota Wild begins play in the 2000-2001 NHL season in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. For more information on the Minnesota Wild please call (651) 222-WILD (9453).