AUSTIN, Texas — FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, today announced an exclusive deal with bd Global to air four NCAA Division I tournaments, as well as an extension with Basketball Travelers Inc. (BTI) to broadcast the 2017 GCI Great Alaska Shootout tournament, and a partnership with Rice Athletics to air five men’s and women’s basketball games during the 2017-18 season. All events will be available live and on-demand only on FloHoops.com.
FloSports’ expanded agreement with BTI also includes the addition of Andy Katz, a leading college basketball analyst and former president of the United States Basketball Writers Association. Katz will serve as an on-air analyst and sideline reporter for the men’s 2017 Paradise Jam on Nov. 17-19, as well as contribute interviews and analysis to FloHoops.com.
The University of Houston, Wake Forest, and Colorado are some of the leading teams competing at the Paradise Jam, which has been moved to Liberty University due to hurricane damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“College basketball needs to find as many avenues of distribution as possible, and FloHoops is providing a sneak peek into what the future may hold,’’ Katz said. “I’m looking forward to contributing to FloHoops’ coverage of the 2017 Paradise Jam, especially at this time when the tournament had to be moved due to the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This tournament should be very competitive and could be a springboard for teams needing non-conference, neutral-site wins in their quest for the postseason.’’
“The quality and quantity of content available on FloHoops.com has rapidly grown since the site’s launch in Dec. 2015,” FloSports co-founder and CEO Martin Floreani said. “FloHoops is home to elite high school basketball, and is quickly becoming a hub for college basketball fans. This season, we’ll air hundreds of college basketball games and continue to provide fans the opportunity to watch their favorite teams compete.”
The full bd Global 2017 college basketball schedule on FloHoops.com includes:
- Gulf Coast Showcase (Men’s) — Nov. 20-22, 2017
- Gulf Coast Showcase (Women’s) — Nov. 24-26, 2017
- Play4Kay Shootout (Women’s) — Nov. 23-25, 2017
- MGM Grand Main Event: Middleweight Bracket (Men’s) — Nov 20 and 22, 2017
Among the teams competing at the men’s Gulf Coast Showcase are the University of Pennsylvania, Towson, Georgia Southern and Manhattan. On the women’s side, nationally ranked South Carolina and Notre Dame highlight the Gulf Coast Showcase, while Stanford and Ohio State are among the ranked teams at the Play4Kay Shootout. Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Washington, Prairie View A&M, and Georgia State play in the MGM Grand Main Event – Middleweight Bracket.
“We are excited to partner with FloSports for our upcoming tournaments,” said Brooks Downing, President & CEO of bd Global, LLC. “The FloSports platform contains premium content and should significantly boost our exposure for our games, which in turn will be a great benefit for our participating teams and student-athletes.”
This year marks the 40th and final edition of the Great Alaska Shootout, the United States’ longest-running, regular-season college basketball tournament hosted by the University of Alaska Anchorage. FloHoops has the exclusive worldwide rights to air the men’s and women’s tournaments, with the exception of Alaska.
The tournament starts on Nov. 21 with the four-team women’s tournament, including Binghamton University, the University of Tulsa, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and the University of Alaska Anchorage. The men’s tournament begins Nov. 22 with Cal Poly, Central Michigan University, the College of Charleston, California State University Bakersfield, the University of Idaho, Sam Houston State University, Santa Clara University, and the University of Alaska Anchorage.
FloHoops also will broadcast a total of five Rice University men’s and women’s basketball games during the 2017-18 college basketball season. These include:
- Rice vs. Eastern Kentucky (Men’s) — Nov. 10
- Rice vs. Georgia State (Men’s) — Nov. 14
- Rice vs. Western Kentucky (Women’s) — Feb. 10
- Rice vs. Marshall (Women’s) — Feb. 22
- Rice vs. UTEP (Men’s) – March 1
FloHoops’ college basketball programming complements its existing schedule of elite high school basketball, which includes the National Hoopfest series, City of Palms Classic, Chick-fil-A Classic, the Les Schwab Invitational, and the Hoophall Classic.
To access live coverage of these events, visit FloHoops.com and become a monthly or annual FloPRO subscriber. Annual subscribers unlock access to premium content across the entire FloSports network.