University of Hawai'i to raise pay-per-view fee
By Ferd Lewis and Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writers
The University of Hawai'i is preparing to significantly raise the fees for live pay-per-view telecasts of Warrior home football games this season while still offering free same-night delayed telecasts on K5.
K5 president John Fink, whose station owns the television rights to UH sports, said the new pay-per-view prices will be announced after the university sends out renewal forms to football season-ticket holders next month.
FINK
Fink acknowledged there will be a fee increase from last year's inaugural package, in which O'ahu customers were charged $12.95 per game and $75 for the seven-game season ticket. Neighbor Island viewers were charged $5 per game and $24 for the season.
Fink said the new plan also will include a discount for Neighbor Island viewers.
Of pay-per-view's potential, UH athletic director Herman Frazier said, "the net effect on this in the next couple of years could be an increase of $400,000 to $700,000" annually to the university.
UH received $463,000 as its share of the pay-per-view receipts from the 2002 season, according to Paul Costello, UH vice president for external affairs.
"I think to come up with $463,000 that did not exist before is a pretty good addition," Costello said.
Last year's pay-per-view revenue nearly offsets the university's 46-percent drop in television rights fee. K5 paid UH $1.3 million in 2001, the final year of its previous contract. But the new three-year agreement, signed last July, reduced the fees to $700,000 annually.
FRAZIER
It also opened the way for pay-per-view telecasts. K5 produces the telecasts, which are available through Oceanic Cable's digital service.
Football coach June Jones has urged UH administrators to do away with same-night telecasts.
Last year, UH football games that kicked off at 6:05 p.m. were shown free at 10 p.m. on K5.
Jones argued that free same-night telecasts hurt ticket and pay-per-view sales. The University of Hawai'i Board of Regents recently approved increasing the premium fee for many football season tickets.
"I've never been for same-day (although) I know I'm probably in the minority," Jones said. "What other major-college in America has same-day (free) television? Nobody does."
But Costello said: "That's not on the table. That's not an option."
Fink added: "People have expected the right to see the Warriors on a same-day delayed basis."
Costello said at some point UH might look into expanding pay-per-view deals to selected events in both men's and women's sports.
"We're looking at wherever we can to grow revenue," Costello said.
