 The Charlotte Bobcats have reached an agreement with a local television network for the naming rights to the venue formerly known as the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. In return, the Bobcats will be allowed to terminate their current television contract that limited the team’s viewing audience. As reported by ESPN: A person with knowledge of the negotiations told the Associated Press on Monday that Charlotte Bobcats Arena will be renamed Time Warner Cable Arena. In exchange, the Bobcats will immediately end a TV deal with the cable company that prevented Bobcats games from being shown on regional sports networks and satellite TV services.
During the Bobcats’ inaugural 2004-2005 season, Time Warner Cable’s network was available only to their digital cable customers, which prevented fans who owned basic cable and satellite from watching Bobcats’ games. When the Time Warner Cable network folded less than a year later, the games were simply moved to the cable company’s local news channel, allowing basic cable users to watch the Bobcats’ games. However, fans outside of the Time Warner Cable area, as well as satellite TV subscribers remained left out. Several restaurants and bars near the arena that had satellite TV were not able to show Bobcats games. For this reason, the Bobcats, Time Warner Cable and NBA officials have been negotiating this unique deal for months to solve the problem. It is unknown if Time Warner Cable will pay the Bobcats for the stadium naming rights. The new TV deal will begin Tuesday night, as the games will move from Time Warner Cable’s local news channel to regional TV networks Fox Sports Net South and Sports South. The Bobcats average home attendance this season is 14,631, ranking them 23rd out of 30 NBA teams. "This is the most significant development for Bobcats Sports & Entertainment since the Bobcats were awarded the franchise in Charlotte. A joint partnership with Time Warner Cable and FSN South represents a special and unique relationship that will join two dynamic media and entertainment companies in partnership with The Bobcats to better serve our fans and demonstrate that we in the sports and media business are doing our part to make The Charlotte Bobcats and the downtown arena a major success story for the city of Charlotte and the surrounding region. The fact that we were able to get this complex deal done demonstrates the commitment of our organization to raise the profile of Charlotte and the excitement of Bobcats basketball," said BSE Majority Owner, Robert L. Johnson.
The agreements cap fifteen months of negotiations and are the first example of a major professional sports franchise executing an arena entitlement/broadcast rights deal simultaneously.
"This is a watershed moment for our organization, and a symbol of our commitment to continually improve every facet of this business," said BSE President and Chief Operating Officer, Fred Whitfield. "For more than a year we worked closely with Time Warner Cable on ways to enhance our relationship and bring FSN South into the fold as a key media partner, and I'm extremely proud of the passion, integrity, hard work and teamwork displayed by all parties that went into making this agreement a reality."
In addition to the name change, TWCA will be branded with interior and exterior signage, logos wherever applicable on playing surfaces and a dedicated concourse gallery that will enable TWC to showcase its programming and products. Activation of these elements will occur in the coming months.
"It is very exciting to partner with the Bobcats and FSN South to benefit the Charlotte community, our customers and our team. This partnership demonstrates Time Warner Cable's strong commitment to the Charlotte community and the Carolina region, and is a win for Time Warner Cable customers and sports fans across the region that will now be able to enjoy watching Bobcats games on FSN South. Charlotte is a vibrant and growing city, and Time Warner Cable is thrilled to put our name permanently on its skyline. The Time Warner Cable Arena will be an exciting entertainment venue for many events, for people of all ages, for years to come, and we're proud it will carry our name," said Time Warner Cable's Carolina Region Executive Vice President, Carol Hevey.
FSN South will carry seventy Bobcats games each season beginning with the 2008-09 campaign, in addition to other team-related content.
"Our partnership with the Bobcats solidifies FSN South's position as the leading destination for local sports fans in the Carolinas," said FSN South and SportSouth Senior Vice President and General Manager, Jeff Genthner. "Our commitment goes beyond televising games. We will present preseason coverage, expanded pre- and post-game coverage, and original programs that will showcase Bobcats players and coaches." Maury Brown contributed to this article
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