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Posted: 9:55 PM- The Mtn. television network will be available on DirecTV satellite systems no later than Sept. 1 under an agreement that has been reached in principle, the network and other sources confirmed with The Salt Lake Tribune today.
The deal is awaiting final approval and signatures before it can be announced, network spokesman Hayne Ellis said, something that could happen as early as Friday.
"It would be awesome to get this done," UNLV senior associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie said.
Details of the agreement -- such as its duration and the price level at which the network will be offered -- were not yet available. But news that The Mtn. will be available on DirecTV circulated quickly among athletes, coaches and fans who have been frustrated that so far that the network's reach has been limited to cable television systems in the Mountain West region.
"It's big for our recruiting, big for our exposure and big for all my family back in the Midwest who can see us play now," Utah men's basketball coach Jim Boylen said. "It's great for the school."
Fans have complained for months that few of them -- especially those outside the region -- could see the pioneering network, created two years ago to broadcast Mountain West programming exclusively, including most of its football and men's basketball games.
Only 1.2 million homes have access to The Mtn., including those with Comcast cable in Utah. But DirecTV had 16.8 million customers nationwide at the end of last year, according to financial reports, presumably allowing both far-flung fans as well as local ones who don't want to subscribe to Comcast to see the network.
Athletic director Jeff Schemmel of San Diego State first broke the news unexpectedly at a news conference about the upcoming "Night With the Aztecs" at his school, taking many of the principals by surprise. Officials from the network, the conference and DirecTV initially said they could not confirm the deal, and a spokesman from Comcast, which owns half of the nascent network, could not be reached for comment.
Later, though, the network acknowledged it had reached a deal.
"As soon as the agreement is fully signed and exchanged by both parties, we will make an immediate announcement," Ellis said in an e-mail. Making an announcement Friday "is well within the realm of possibility."