Multi-station network to broadcast entire season
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M Athletics and its multimedia rights holder, Learfield Sports’ Texas A&M Sports Properties, announced today the launch of a dedicated Spanish Network for Aggie Football featuring radio stations in San Antonio, Houston, El Paso and McAllen, as well as on satellite radio via Sirius XM.
Beginning with the Aggies’ August 28 season opener against South Carolina, fans will hear complete football game coverage in Spanish on their hometown radio stations – Salem Español’s KRDY-AM 1160 Radio Luz (San Antonio); Univision Radio’s KLAT 1010 AM (Houston); Univision Radio’s KAMA 750 AM (El Paso) and MBM Radio’s KVJY-AM 840 (McAllen). Additionally, game coverage will be heard on Sirius XM Deportes en Vivo Channel 551 and streamed on 12thMan.com. The Texas A&M Spanish Network will carry all 12 of the Aggies’ regular season games, as well as any postseason contests.
“It is important that we share the Texas A&M brand across the state and to do so we need a Spanish language option for our fans,” said Chancellor John Sharp of The Texas A&M University System. “We believe this is a real step forward for Aggie sports as we begin our third season in the SEC.”
The Texas A&M Spanish Network – featuring Pedro Vela Almaguer as play-by-play broadcaster and Alberto Rodriguez as color commentator – will complement the existing 55 English radio affiliates encompassing the Texas A&M Sports Network. Almaguer previously worked for Univision in Houston and served on the Houston Texans’ broadcast team. Rodriguez currently serves as talent for Univision’s 104.9 in Houston, and has broadcast experience with soccer, basketball and football.
“Reaching out to the state’s Spanish speakers is part of Texas A&M’s mission and legacy as a land-grant institution. We want to create the best experiences we can for our entire fan base,” said Texas A&M Director of Athletics Eric Hyman. “Our Spanish Network is a brilliant addition to cater to many fans who are faithful Aggie followers and part of a fast-growing demographic in the state of Texas.”
Approximately 38 percent of the state’s 26.4 million residents are of Hispanic descent, with Spanish speakers representing 36 percent of the San Antonio market and 29 percent of the Houston market. Among younger Hispanic audiences, 93 percent listen to some form of radio every week, based on recent Nielsen research.
“The passion for Aggie football is great, and it only made sense to unveil this additional radio network,” said Eric Buchanan, general manager for Texas A&M Sports Properties, which oversees the university’s athletic rights as well as the radio network including talent and securing affiliates. “We continually look for ways we can increase the overall experience for Aggie fans, and this is an additional step we can make over the airwaves. We know fans will really embrace it and we’ll be securing more stations as the season goes on.”
About Learfield Sports
Texas A&M Sports Properties is a property of Learfield Sports, which manages the multimedia rights for nearly 100 collegiate properties and titles the prestigious Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup with award co-founders NACDA and USA Today. Learfield’s multimedia rights encompass numerous content distribution platforms to deliver the passion of college athletics across radio, television and digital networks to fans globally. For more about the company, its 40-year history and comprehensive portfolio, visit learfieldsports.com.