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Who Needs Journalistic Integrity? ESPN Promotes Longhorn Network During Texas-Oklahoma Game

ESPN’s Longhorn Network is sure to place Texas in a different stratosphere as far as television revenue goes. There’s been plenty of chatter since the new channel’s launch, with most of it surrounding potential NCAA rules violations if the network were to air high school games or no one being able to watch it initially because cable and satellite operators couldn’t reach a deal with the four letter network.

Both of these issues have been mostly resolved, but like any new product it needs plenty of marketing. And no one does brand marketing and corporate synergy better than ESPN.

RELATED: NYT’s Pete Thamel: “Texas Is The Prettiest Girl In High School Who Can’t Get A Date To The Prom”

During today’s broadcast of the Red River Shootout Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma on ABC, Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit didn’t do the regular network plug for a prime time series like Desperate Housewives or Grey’s Anatomy. No, they informed the national audience that the ONLY place to catch Texas’ October 29 game against Kansas is on the Longhorn Network.

The World Wide Leader promoting a biased in-house product that directly involves a subject matter they expect their journalism side to cover without an agenda? Yeah, that makes sense.

Photo via

Video from ESPN on ABC by Tim Burke.

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