Bayou Classic signs extension with NBC Sports Group; new kickoff time for annual football contest

The Bayou Classic team announced August 3, 2015, that the 42nd Annual Bayou Classic will once again be broadcast on NBC, but this year will move to the broadcast company’s cable network – NBC Sports Network. The agreement between The Bayou Classic and NBC Sports Group extends the broadcast of the Bayou Classic on NBC Sports Network for another year.

"The landscape of television sports is changing and it is important to us that the Bayou Classic continue to be an integral part of that landscape," said Dottie Belletto, President of New Orleans Convention Company, Inc. (NOCCI), the management firm of the 42nd Annual Bayou Classic. "Coming off one of Bayou Classic's best and most dramatic seasons in decades, we could not be more proud to extend this historic partnership and are excited that this extension offers enhanced opportunities that allow us to bring Bayou Classic to fans on more platforms than ever before."

Also new for 2015, the kickoff time for the Annual Bayou Classic has been moved from its traditional 1:30 pm CST to a new kickoff time of 4:00 pm CST. This is also a change from earlier dissemination of a 2:00 pm CST kickoff.

"This later kickoff time makes this the first time the Bayou Classic will see a prime-time matchup both in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and on broadcast," added Belletto. "While our relationship with NBC Sports is longstanding, this new relationship opens up additional avenues to expand the breadth of Bayou Classic-related sports programming both in the game broadcast and in advance promotions and marketing efforts."