BALTIMORE, Sept. 13, 2017
/PRNewswire/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI)
("Sinclair") proudly begins another exciting season of high school
sports coverage, including its popular series "Thursday Night
Lights/Friday Night Rivals" and "High School Hoops." Last season
Sinclair aired 336 high school football games (over 1,000 hours),
as well as 101 high school basketball games. These included
state championship games in the Baltimore, MD; Washington, D.C.; Charleston, SC; Columbia, SC; Greenville, SC; Myrtle Beach, SC; Savannah, GA; Las
Vegas, NV; Reno, NV;
Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; and Salt Lake City, UT television markets (over
202 hours).
"Through our live high school sports coverage and related student
athlete scholarship partnerships, Sinclair continues a commitment
to serve our communities with meaningful, local grass roots
programming. We look forward to showcasing the student athletes as
they pursue excellence both on the field and in the classroom,"
said Stephen Mann, Corporate
Director of High School Programming. "Sinclair has been
supporting local sports for years. In fact, over the past
five years we have added over 6,000 hours of local sports
programming to our stations' on-air, digital and social media
platforms."
Praise From the Students and the Schools
"On behalf of the Clark County School District, students,
parents and staff, let me say thank you for providing an
opportunity for our student athletes to be recognized. You and your
staff are to be commended for your commitment to the education of
our young people." —Ray Mathis, Executive Director of ISSA Clark
County School District in Sinclair's Las
Vegas, NV market
"I really enjoyed the emphasis on
the kids, the school system, the individual school and the Scholar
Athlete of the Week. What great promotion for the Buncombe County Schools!"—Pat Bryant, Board
Member for Buncombe County Schools
in Sinclair's Asheville, NC
market
"Dear Sinclair Broadcast
Group,
I was absolutely thrilled to receive the A+ Scholar Athlete Award
and even more ecstatic when I received your generous check. It was
an honor to be selected for this award and it will be put to good
use as I head to Mississippi State in
the fall. I appreciate all that you do for student athletes to help
them achieve their goals." —Savannah West, Scholar Athlete Winner
in Sinclair's Pensacola, FL
market
"You're really not thinking about
the game being televised on the field, but in the big picture, it's
a great feeling to know everyone is watching you and they see you
come out with a big win!"—Thomas Lee, Lineman at Bexley High School
in Sinclair's Columbus, Ohio
market
In addition, Sinclair stations showcase the success stories of
the student athletes.
"We are extremely pleased to find
a partner in Sinclair that shares the values of education-based
athletics that we uphold at the NCHSAA. We are excited for the new
opportunities to highlight the great accomplishments of our
student-athletes, schools and their communities through this new
partnership."—Que Tucker, Executive Director of the North
Carolina High School League
Sinclair spends millions of dollars a year in promotion,
production costs, and other commitments, including approximately
$4 million annually to broadcast
live, local high school sports. Sinclair expects to increase the
overall number of hours of high school sports on its stations again
this year and will bring that same commitment to the Tribune
stations and markets, which it sees as a significant public
interest benefit to the Transaction.
About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Sinclair is one of the largest and most diversified television
broadcasting companies in the country. Pro forma for the
Tribune acquisition (before any related divestitures), the Company
will own, operate and/or provide services to 233 television
stations in 108 markets. The Company has multiple emerging
networks as well as stations affiliated with all the major
networks. Sinclair is a leading local news provider in the
country and a producer of live sports content. Sinclair's
content is delivered via multiple-platforms, including
over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital
platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key
source of Company information which can be accessed at
www.sbgi.net.
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SOURCE Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.