UT awards big sports media contract to Host

The University of Tennessee has awarded an $83.4 million, 10-year multimedia sports contract, including radio rights to all Volunteer football and basketball games and television rights to coaches? shows, to longtime partner Host Communications.

The deal announced Thursday raises Tennessee?s athletic department annual guaranteed rights fees to $6.8 million, an increase of 168 percent over current agreements, a university statement said.

?We had five great sports marketing companies vying for the opportunity to partner with the University of Tennessee,? Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said.

?In the end, we believed Host Communications provided the most comprehensive package of benefits to the university.?

Host, based in Lexington, Ky., has been the primary rights holder for Tennessee sports for the past 17 years and has become synonymous with the Vol Network.