University of Hawai‘i sports are headed back to free TV, thanks to a media-rights deal worth roughly $30 million that will pull games off paywalled cable and return them to over-the-air broadcast.
The four-year agreement with Hawaii News Now kicks in on July 1, 2026, and guarantees at least 110 home events each season across football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball and women’s soccer. K5 will be the primary broadcast home for live telecasts, and the package also includes a year-round streaming platform and on-campus production opportunities for students.
According to University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Athletics, the arrangement carries an estimated partnership value of about $7.5 million per year, or roughly $30 million over four years, and is structured around broader distribution rather than a traditional straight rights-fee setup. The athletics office said the deal includes revenue sharing tied to campus productions and is expected to nearly double the number of television households that can watch local UH game broadcasts.
What Fans Will See
Hawaii News Now will carry a minimum of 110 home events annually, with K5 as the main game destination. The partnership also calls for a free, always-on “Warrior” streaming channel that will feature classic games, player profiles and original series, according to Hawaii News Now.
The station has committed to hands-on training and production roles for students, folding UH into its regular operations so that campus crews get real-world reps while helping feed year-round content.
Timing And The Bigger Picture
The launch lines up with UH’s full membership in the Mountain West Conference on July 1, 2026. School officials say K5 telecasts will also be available nationally through the Mountain West app, giving UH a reach that stretches far beyond the islands.
Athletic leaders are pitching the move as more than just a TV shuffle. They describe it as a way to boost recruiting, name-image-likeness opportunities and statewide visibility while opening up new revenue streams, per UH Athletics.
What Changed
The deal marks a clean break from the subscription and pay-per-view model that has defined UH broadcasts for years. Spectrum had handled local coverage in recent seasons, and its arrangements, which began in 2011, generated about $3.2 million annually for the program, Aloha State Daily reported.
UH and Hawaii News Now say they are intentionally trading guaranteed rights fees for wider exposure and a steady stream of year-round content, betting that long-term growth will outweigh the old pay-per-view cash flow.
What Officials Are Saying
“This partnership is about maximizing exposure for our programs and ensuring every fan in Hawai‘i and beyond can watch our games,” UH Athletics Director Matt Elliott said in a statement.
Hawaii News Now’s general manager, in the joint announcement, emphasized that the goal is to make UH sports easy to find and free to watch for fans on every island.
Where To Watch
Schedules and channel listings will be posted ahead of the 2026-27 season. Fans are being directed to check UH Athletics and Hawaii News Now for game times, channel information and updates on the new streaming channel.
Officials say more specifics on Mountain West app access and how campus productions will be distributed will roll out in the weeks leading up to the 2026 season opener.
