Boise State’s Significant Challenging Acquisition

College football continues to move closer and closer to resembling the National Football League. It will be interesting to see if their move to generate more revenue will endanger their tax-exempt status, but that argument is for another time.

Last week, two of Idaho's most powerful entities, Boise State Athletics and KTVB Channel 7, announced a significant partnership. The Broncos acquired the sports voice of the Treasure Valley, Jay Tust, Channel Seven's sports director. He has worked in Boise for over fourteen years, and viewers had no choice but to watch the endless tributes to his work last week.

Mr. Tust is talented enough to work in a bigger market. Boise was once a destination market, meaning aspiring broadcasters wouldn't leave. Today, Boise television talents have worked here for two years and then moved to bigger markets.

The talented sportscaster didn't leave for Denver, Seattle, or Phoenix. However, many fans wondered when Boise would lose Jay Tust. He is leaving Channel Seven, but he's staying in Boise.

Mr. Tust will now be the franchise player in what Boise State Athletics is calling Bronco Studios. The platform will feature interviews, podcasts, social media posts, and other content produced by Boise State. The athletics department will truly own its content and distribution.

The move is similar to that of other professional and college sports franchises. However, it does raise a question concerning who makes money off of Boise State content. The program has several other partners for distribution.

Bronco Studios will become a competitor for those advertising dollars. If you're an advertiser, do you pay a third party or Bronco Studios? Is there enough revenue to support this new entity quarterbacked by the area's most well-known sports broadcaster?

Boise State Athletics praised Channel Seven for their partnership and previewed more exclusive content from Mr. Tust's move. If the television station is acquiring more content, does that mean other media partners will receive less?

What about media organizations that aren't Boise State partners? Do they get less access to a state-funded organization?