Pitt Panthers Football: Panthers, Comcast Launch Pitt Sports Network

The following press release was issued today by the Pitt Athletic Department and has been posted on Pittsburghpanthers.com:

Pitt And Comcast To Launch Pitt Panthers Television Featuring More Than 500 Hours Of Live And On Demand Sports Programming

Sept. 21, 2010

Pitt and The Comcast Network are proud to announce the launch of Pitt Panthers Television, a breakthrough programming service that will annually present more than 500 additional hours of Pitt athletics coverage to area fans exclusively on The Comcast Network, including live broadcasts of men's basketball games this season and football coach Dave Wannstedt's weekly press conferences as well as re-airs of all home football games.

Pitt Panthers Television, which debuts Sept. 21, will also broadcast live football and men's basketball pre- and postgame shows, women's basketball games and women's volleyball games as well as other Olympic sports and original programming. It will also bring rebroadcasts of football and basketball games to Comcast's Xfinity On Demand platform, allowing Comcast digital customers to enjoy all the Panthers' great moments whenever they want.

"Comcast is excited to make this exclusive programming available to our customers," said Jerry Norris, Comcast Vice President of Marketing for the Keystone Region. "Just as Pitt is committed to athletic excellence, Comcast is committed to giving our customers more of the programming they want, and Pitt Panthers Television gives them more choice and - with its Xfinity On Demand content - more control."

Comcast digital customers living in Western Pennsylvania and parts of Central Pennsylvania will see Pitt Panthers Television throughout the week on The Comcast Network (channel 188 or 210, see listing below), including eight consecutive hours every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those customers can also access Xfinity On Demand by selecting the Get Local, Sports and Pitt Panthers TV folders.

Pitt and Comcast's joint efforts will offer the best Panthers coverage available. For the latest television schedules, visit Panthers On The Air at PittsburghPanthers.com.

"We are so pleased to team with Comcast to bring Panthers fans hundreds of new hours of Pitt programming," Pitt Athletic Director Steve Pederson said. "We know from our current viewership numbers that the public wants as much Pitt sports programming as we can give them. This will also give us an opportunity to showcase our entire program in a way that has not been previously seen. With quality sports content being so important right now on television, this partnership with Comcast stands out in particular. We know that our fans will enjoy the launch of Pitt Panthers Television."

Information about the fiduciary arrangement of this contract has not yet been released. I can't find discussion about it on Pittblather.com or the online Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yet either.

Stay tuned. With Miami blowing into town for Thursday's ESPN game of the week, Pitt football just took on a whole new attitude.