If you want to watch live video streams of the WPIAL football and basketball championships in the future, you’ll have to pay a price.
The WPIAL announced Tuesday it has agreed to a five-year deal with the National Federation of State High School Associations that gives the NFHS Network exclusive video streaming rights to all WPIAL postseason games. The deal starts with the 2023-24 school year.
The WPIAL said in a release that the NFHS will air championship games in numerous sports, but football and basketball title games will be the main targets. Plus, the NFHS Network will video stream other “select” football and basketball playoff games.
But the NFHS Network charges a fee to watch games. The monthly subscription rate is $11.99 and the yearly rate is $79.99. The NFHS Network also has a deal with the PIAA to video stream some postseason games.
Last year, the WPIAL championship football games were not on broadcast television for the first time in 35 years. But the Tribune-Review’s High School Sports Network livestreamed all of the games for free. Plus, the HSSN has been livestreaming all of the basketball championships free for a number of years. In addition, the HSSN livestreamed most WPIAL football and basketball playoff games, as well as championships in other sports.
But the Tribune-Review’s deal with the WPIAL was up this year, and the WPIAL partnered with Teal Properties Group (TPG) a few years ago to handle all sponsorships and media rights. The Tribune-Review made an offer for the video streaming rights, but TPG went with the NFHS Network. In their previous deal with the WPIAL, the Tribune-Review sold ads and sponsorships for all of their games.
“TPG does all of our sponsorships now,” said Vince Sortino, chief operating officer for the WPIAL. “We’re contractually obligated to TPG. We get a set fee from them every year, regardless if they sell ads or sponsorships or not. This [NFHS Network] deal expands TPG’s ability to be able to sell more ads, more sponsorships for streaming, which enables them to bring in a better cash flow. At the same time, NFHS has been a partner at the PIAA level. Now, the WPIAL will be partnering with them.”
The WPIAL release said 65 other high school associations around the country have deals to stream games on the NFHS Network.
The NFHS also has cameras permanently mounted at a small number of WPIAL stadiums or schools that they can use to livestream games. However, the NFHS will not be livestreaming many WPIAL playoff games, except the championships. If the NFHS isn’t streaming a playoff game, any other streaming network can show the games but must pay a fee to the WPIAL and TPG. Sortino said that fee has not been decided.
“The Trib and other outlets will still be able to broadcast or stream playoff games throughout the year,” Sortino said. “One area the NFHS was concerned about was the actual championship games and some other select playoff games. How many select playoff games has not been specified yet.
“Nothing will change for the championships other than the name of the title sponsor. Everybody will have the opportunity to broadcast or stream other games like they have in the past.”
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh.
First Published: June 20, 2023, 10:08 p.m.
Updated: June 22, 2023, 9:46 a.m.
