The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) on Tuesday announced that a locally owned, in-state company will broadcast the premier high school sporting events in the Yellowhammer State for the next three years.
An agreement has been reached between the AHSAA and PlayOn Sports/the NFHS Network (NFHSN — affiliated with the National Federation of State High School Associations) in which Sylacauga’s WOTM/Broadway Communications, along with its Alabama Cable Network (ACN), will bring the most anticipated high school games to viewers across the state.
This is considered a major marker for WOTM, which has long been known for its local and high school sports programming.
In a statement, WOTM president Vincent Earley emphasized that the company is proud of its partnership with the AHSAA.
“We are an Alabama company and look forward to working hand-in-hand with the AHSAA and PlayOn Sports/NFHS Network to bring such outstanding sports events to viewers,” Earley said.
“We believe in the AHSAA mission and purpose and we believe in the young men and women in Alabama’s high schools who are working daily to make themselves better students and better athletes,” he added. “We are also looking forward to recognizing the administrators, teachers, coaches and communities that are making such a positive difference in the lives of these students. We look forward to working with the AHSAA and NFHS Network in building a relationship that will benefit our schools and citizens.”
WOTM will be producing both games in the Kickoff Classic at Cramton Bowl August 22-23 as part of the new agreement: Jeff Davis vs. Carver-Montgomery on Thursday night and the Central-Phenix City vs. Hoover game set for Friday night.
The company will provide live digital streaming exclusively through the subscriber-based NFHS Network and live television coverage over many of the state’s cable network carriers – including major affiliates Charter, Comcast, Cable One, ATT U-verse and Anniston/Oxford area TV affiliate WEAC TV 24. In Montgomery and other counties, the games will be shown on Charter’s channel 80 (ACN).
However, the kickoff week offerings are just the beginning.
WOTM will also produce the AHSAA Super 7 State Football Championships, the AHSAA State Basketball Finals, the AHSAA Game of the Week each Thursday during the football regular season and the AHSAA Playoff Game of the Week during the four playoff rounds leading up to the football finals.
The company will also produce for the AHSAA TV Network the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game; Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Games; the AHSAA State Softball and Baseball Finals; and the State Cheerleading Finals. WTOM will also produce a weekly “Inside the AHSAA’’ 30-minute TV program to be shown over its network of television stations and the NFHSN beginning in September.
In a statement, AHSAA executive director Steve Savarese extolled the benefits of this new agreement.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with PlayOn Sports, the NFHS Network and WOTM,” Savarese remarked.
“This partnership is important to us and will take us into the next decade with one of the best broadcast packages anywhere,” he stressed. “WOTM and (ACN) in Alabama is included on many of the state’s cable affiliates and covers much of the state. The NFHS Network will continue to provide outstanding programming via live-streaming. This partnership will no doubt provide enormous exposure of AHSAA championship events for our member schools and help promote our message of education-based athletics.”
WOTM and (ACN) map as follows:
Those not covered by a television affiliate may watch via the subscription-based online streaming platform from anywhere in the world.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
