Raycom Sports
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Raycom Sports is an American syndicator of sports television programs.
It was founded in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1980 by a husband and wife, Rick and Dee Ray. Since its inception, it has produced and distributed football and basketball games from the Atlantic Coast Conference. (It was also once a distributor of games from the now defunct Southwest Conference.) Within several years of its founding, Raycom agreed to share the production and distribution of the ACC telecasts with Jefferson-Pilot Communications; the venture was called Raycom/JP Sports. In 2006, the name of the partnership changed to Raycom/LF Sports, the "LF" is Lincoln Financial, the marketing name of Lincoln National Corporation, which purchased Jefferson-Pilot that year.
From 1983 to 1986, Raycom and JP offered a pay-per-view package called "Season Ticket."
In the early 1990s, Raycom was folded into the larger Raycom Media operation which was set up by a merger of Atlanta businessman Bert Ellis' operations with the broadcast holdings of Aflac.
During the annual ACC basketball tournament, the Raycom/JP affiliates have exclusive rights to the game telecasts. ESPN, which has the national rights, must black out the games in the same markets as the affiliates.
Some of Raycom's current and former announcers include Mike Patrick, Tim Brando, Tom Hammond, Billy Packer, and Bucky Waters.
Raycom has also produced specials on Elvis Presley and other non-sports subjects. It was to have produced Team Racing Auto Circuit auto racing in 2003; however, the league folded before an event could be run.
