Hawaii News Now wins bid to negotiate deal to telecast UH sports

After 15 years, there might be a new rights holder for telecasts of University of Hawaii sporting events. UH athletic director Matt Elliott announced that Hawaii News Now “has been selected as the highest-rated offeror and is being awarded the first opportunity to negotiate and finalize a broadcasting rights concession agreement with UH Manoa. ” UH and Hawaii News Now are entering an exclusive negotiating period.

“The details of the arrangement are being discussed over the next few weeks,” Elliott wrote. “Both parties are optimistic about an outcome that will benefit UH Manoa, Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Wahine fans everywhere and Hawaii News Now. Once an agreement is reached, both parties look forward to making a joint public announcement and moving forward together in the new school year, which will commence on July 1, 2026.

” Spectrum Sports (previously known as Oceanic through June 2017) currently holds the local television rights for UH sports. As part of a pay-per-view arrangement for available UH football telecasts, Spectrum Sports paid an annual rights fee of about $3. 1 million.

That fee was reduced when Spectrum and UH agreed to drop pay-per-view for the seven football telecasts during the 2025 season. When UH and Spectrum could not reach an agreement on an extension during an exclusive negotiating window, the school put out a call for offers. Spectrum, KHON, KITV and Hawaii News Now had expressed initial interest in submitting bids.