Browns Announce Partnership With STO

[swerb]

The Cleveland Browns have signed three-year television partnerships with WKYC TV-3 and regional sports network SportsTime Ohio, the club announced Friday.

“The Browns organization is very pleased to continue our partnership with WKYC Channel 3 and begin a new one with SportsTime Ohio,” said Cleveland Browns Vice President of Communications Bill Bonsiewicz. “WKYC has always provided a high level of quality sports programming to its viewers, which is very important to us and our fans. Adding STO to the Browns family adds a new dimension of synergy between our partners – not only with the programming, but with talent as well.”

The deal is the latest in a continuing collaboration between the Browns and WKYC. The network will air the team's preseason games as well as The Pregame Huddle throughout the regular season and The Point After on Monday evenings.

Thanks to this partnership, this fall fans will have the opportunity to see all four of the team's preseason games in high definition.

"For the first time ever Cleveland Browns fans will get the opportunity to see four preseason games in high definition, which provides a vastly superior video quality," WKYC President and General Manager Brooke Spectorsky said. "Channel 3 has been the home to almost every preseason game and to local Browns programming since the team returned in 1999.

"We've had a great partnership over the years and look forward to continuing and building on this very successful relationship."

The high definition broadcasts of the preseason contests also will be replayed in their entirety within 24 hours of the game on SportsTime Ohio, who will become the team's official regional sports network effective July 1.

STO will feature year-round Browns programming for the 2.7 million homes across its viewing area. Specific programming will be announced at a later date.

“This new relationship between the Browns, WKYC and SportsTime Ohio is a big win for the fans,” said Jim Liberatore, President of SportsTime Ohio. “There will be an unprecedented quantity of Browns coverage throughout the year, including a full 52 weeks of programming on SportsTime Ohio.”

Leading the on air talent on both networks will be long-time Cleveland sportscaster and WKYC Sports Director Jim Donovan. In addition to continuing his duties as the team's radio play-by-play announcer, Donovan will continue to host The Point After in addition to much of the team's programming on STO.

“As the sports anchor at Channel 3 for the last 20 years I can honestly say this is great news,” said Donovan. “It’s no secret I love being the voice of the Browns and to host The Point After on WKYC is really great. It’s a show that gives Browns fans a chance to catch up on all the action.”

"The tremendous synergy between WKYC and SportsTime Ohio should bring a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of Browns programming," Spectorsky said.



CLEVELAND BROWNS 2007 PRESEASON TV SCHEDULE

Sat., Aug. 11 vs. Kansas City 7:30 p.m. EDT WKYC-TV 3
Sat., Aug. 18 vs. Detroit Lions 7:30 p.m. EDT WKYC-TV 3
Sat., Aug. 25 at Denver Broncos 9:00 p.m. EDT WKYC- TV 3
Thur., Aug. 30 at Chicago Bears 8:00 p.m. EDT WKYC-TV 3


-BROWNS-

[jb]

Beyond incredible news. Given thet TCF has the exclusive on-line relationship w/ STO right now and has heavy involvement on their web site development, can you guys imagine what this could mean for STO on line, tCF, and these forums?

I can't wait for the updates and the exposure, increased traffic, breaking news, extensive professional coverage, and personalities' access this will be providing to the STO internet community in the near future, and therefore tCF.

All for free to the users on a level access field where all fans are treated equally. One for all. Not all for one. That's the reason I'm here. So that of the fans, by the fans, and for the fans shall not perish from cyberspace.

STO/tCF just keeps getting better and better!

[consigliere]

Definitely exciting. We'll see where this goes.....I'm mostly happy for the Browns fans as this will provide yet another outlet for more info. Huge get for STO, and in a roundabout way, us. Got that right JB.

[Kuiper]

As someone new to TCF but a longtime user of Scout and its antecedents, is there a place I can go to fill me on this site and it's origins/current status? I've read Swerb on OBR, but I had assumed this was merely another (albeit more organized) fan site. What is the partnership with STO? Has this become a full-time job for someone, despite the absence of a premium user feature? What is the relationship with OBR (which has a link to this site from the Cleveland Sports forum)?

Thanks in advance.

[swerb]

Kuiper, this column lays it all out best ...

http://www.swerbsblurbs.com/article_detail.php?id=1292

The partnership with STO is one where we provide them some front page content for their website, and work with them on some other things as well. They want to cover the Browns, Cavs, Indians, and Buckeyes ... and we can help them with that on the web.

It's no one's full time job here at TCF. We all work day jobs. Except Furls, who is training to fire long range missiles at hostile countries from the comforts of a nuclear submarine.

People think of STO as the "Indians network", but really, they want to become an elite Ohio sports cable station that covers all the teams we follow, and they're well on their way there with this news today. They're dead serious about adding quality programming, and being very proactive on the web side as well.

[Kuiper]

Thanks. Nice story and nice site. Content is one of the gaping holes in most websites that rely on message boards to draw people in and you look like you've got that covered. I can see why STO wanted to leverage your content for the site.

By the way, things are still easy with an 18-20 month old. Just wait until you have multiple kids and multiple activities. You'll be coaching soccer and basketball and baseball. I see a Cleveland Youth Sports feature column in your future.

[swerb]

Im completely overwhelmed with one kid. The thought of more terrifies me.

Thanks Kuiper. And good to see you in here bud.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

It's no one's full time job here at TCF. We all work day jobs. Except Furls, who is training to fire long range missiles at hostile countries from the comforts of a nuclear submarine.

What can I do to make sure that Iran is first in line?

[wmurphyhh]

You'll be coaching soccer

Swerb coaching soccer in Twinsburg...now that's funny!

[BruceK]

You know, it shows a certain amount of bravery on the part of an Indians-owned station/website to link to some of the content here -- "Inertia Man".

Or maybe they just didn't read carefully -- in other words, either brave or stupid.

[tzxb4v]

This is great news for me considering i live in Austintown (near youngstown). Our local staion is a youngstown based station that was only showing browns home games and then steeler's home games and sometimes nothing if they were both away or steelers if they were both at home. big score for this and all the other fans in my area.

[tzxb4v]

and oh yeah STEELERS SUCK!

[Wolfy]

STO is airing a Browns draft special on Wendsday and Friday... Not sure of the name of the show but saw the commercial while watching the Tribe last night. Welcome aboard STO! Oh yeah, nice win Tribe... I was getting used to us blowing that one...Now the tide has turned (fingers crossed).