Mizzou Network

■ Missouri among schools seeking to improve presence in new technology (Columbia Tribune)

In collaboration with Learfield Sports, KOMU and CBSSports.com, MU hopes to unveil what officials are calling the Mizzou Network by the end of this year.

The proposal includes offering free broadcasts of nonrevenue events, archived game footage and original athletic and academic programming to viewers through virtually every electronic medium except cable and satellite television. Fans would be able to watch live and on-demand video via the web, smartphone, tablet and connected television — a fast-growing technology that merges high-definition TV and the Internet.

“There’s just so much potential that I can’t even get my hands around it,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director Whit Babcock, who is overseeing the project for Missouri’s athletic department. “I feel like we’re ahead of the game.”
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The NCAA softball regional in Columbia last month proved to MU there is extensive interest in high-quality broadcasts of nonrevenue games. More than 2,900 unique viewers tuned into mutigers.com both days to watch the tournament games, said Kevin Fletcher, Missouri’s coordinator of online operations.

While Missouri typically requires viewers to pay $9.95 a month to watch nonrevenue events that often feature one stationary camera trained on the entire field, the softball broadcasts showcased a new model.

The games were free and featured three remote cameras, a manned camera perched behind the plate and a producer in charge of replays.