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Monmouth University and ESPN3 Announce Agreement to Produce Live Athletics Content

Monmouth University and ESPN have announced an agreement which will bring Monmouth Hawks athletics contests to ESPN3 beginning later this year.

The programming will be produced entirely by members of the Monmouth University community, including athletics department staff, and students, alumni, and staff from the Department of Communication. The four, five, and six camera HD productions will feature full ESPN graphics integration, replay, and two or three-person announcing teams. The events have the ability to be viewed in 95 million households and by an additional 21 million U.S.-based college students and military personnel.

“This agreement is a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience all aspects of creating a professional live broadcast,” said Monmouth University President Paul R. Brown. “They will gain invaluable technical expertise currently available only at select number of schools across the country like Duke and the University of North Carolina.”

“The department of athletics is thrilled to announce this agreement with ESPN3,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Marilyn McNeil. “Monmouth considers this the ultimate collaboration with a first class media entity that will allow us to showcase our student-athletes on their field of play and our students behind cameras and in TV-style production. Our facilities, dedication by the University’s administration and staff, and the MAAC’s relationship with the World Wide Leader in Sports have presented us with this tremendous opportunity that will give the University and athletics department an unparalleled amount of exposure.”

Monmouth is the first member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to offer a full slate of games and sports with complete ESPN3 production requirements on the platform. Monmouth, an associate member of the Big South Conference, will be just the second Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school to produce and deliver a live football event on ESPN3. A full production schedule will be released later this month as equipment is finalized and delivered.

”It is tremendous to announce the first MAAC school to launch live events on ESPN3 and continue the long-standing relationship the MAAC has had with ESPN,” notes Richard Ensor, MAAC Commissioner. “Kudos to Monmouth University and its media staff for its efforts to activate this new service to its fans.”

In addition, the various media platforms that currently produce live and on-demand Monmouth athletic events such as Hawk Vision and the Monmouth Hawks Radio Network will be rebranded as the Monmouth Digital Network [MDN].

“I am also delighted that the audience for our outstanding athletic programs will expand exponentially,” Monmouth University President Paul Brown said. “This will transform the way Monmouth University fans are able to follow the Hawks across a variety of new media platforms.”

With 13-15 crew members required for the ESPN3 programming, Monmouth University students will make up a key component for producing the events. In addition to live event production, Monmouth University students will be responsible for pregame, halftime, and postgame content production as well as feature pieces, commercials, highlight packages, and interviews.

“The ESPN3 programming represents a terrific opportunity for Communication students,” said Associate Professor and University Communication Department Chair Chad Dell. “It adds live digital media production to our popular sports communication minor, which already emphasizes radio, journalism and public relations skills. Our students will be even better prepared for careers in the sports media industry.”

Currently the list of universities with similar agreements in place includes members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), St. John’s University and the Atlantic Sun Conference.

About Monmouth University

Monmouth University is a leading private institution that offers a comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The University offers 21 Division I athletics teams, 19 of which compete in the MAAC while football is an associate member of the Big South Conference. Located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, Monmouth University’s magnificent and historic campus is approximately one hour from both New York City and Philadelphia and is within walking distance of the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. Monmouth University is listed in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” and the Princeton Review’s The Best 379 Colleges.

About ESPN3

ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The network is currently available to 95 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones, and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

About the MAAC

The MAAC, headquartered in Edison, N.J., consists of 11 member institutions: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. ANC Sports Enterprises is the league’s marketing consultant and has the exclusive sales rights to the MAAC. For more on the conference please visit, www.maacsports.com.

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Monmouth Athletics @MUHawks
Monmouth University @monmouthu
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