US college sports’ Mountain West Conference has announced new six-year media rights deals with commercial broadcaster CBS and pay-television network Fox Sports worth a combined US$270 million.
The deals, which run from the 2020/21 season through the 2025/26 campaign, will see the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conference’s members receive around US$4 million each year, a considerable increase on the annual US$1.1 million they get under the current contract.
All told, CBS sports will broadcast an annual 23 football games and 32 basketball matchups, with Fox networks showing up to 23 regular season games across both sports each season.
The agreement ensures that CBS Sports Network will remain the Mountain West’s primary TV rights holder, airing the conference’s top football and men’s basketball games. The new deal also gives CBS an additional ten games of each sport per year.
In addition, CBS Television Network will air select football and men’s basketball games during the agreement, including the Men’s Basketball Championship. CBS Sports Network also has the option to show select Mountain West Conference Olympic Sports each year.
“Given both the strength of the Mountain West Conference and success of our partnership over the past 15 years, continuing our long-term relationship with the conference was a priority for us,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of programming at CBS Sports.
“Retaining the conference’s top games for CBS Sports Network is important and builds upon our already strong schedule. We look forward to an exciting future with the conference in the years ahead.”
The deal with Fox marks the first time that the Mountain West has partnered with the cable network, which replaces ESPN as its secondary partner.
Fox gains exclusive rights to Boise State home football games and to the Mountain West Football Championship game, while it will also carry a full slate of football and men’s basketball games each year across its linear platforms.
Similarly to the deal with ESPN, Boise State will continue to receive a higher percentage of the conference’s TV revenue share.
“The Mountain West is excited to begin this next cycle with Fox Sports as a new partner,” added Craig Thompson, Mountain West commissioner, which is still negotiating its third-tier rights. “The relationship allows us to be part of the network’s growing collegiate programming and we look forward to working together toward mutual success. This agreement positions us well now and for the future.”
The news comes shortly after it was reported that CBS had dropped out of negotiations with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) after initially tabling a bid worth US$300 million per year to retain the conference’s premium college football package of 15 to 17 games per season.
That package is now expected to be picked up by ESPN, which according to Sports Business Journal is finalising a deal worth an annual fee ‘in the low US$300 million range’.
US college sports’ Mountain West Conference has announced new six-year media rights deals with commercial broadcaster CBS and pay-television network Fox Sports worth a combined US$270 million.
The deals, which run from the 2020/21 season through the 2025/26 campaign, will see the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conference’s members receive around US$4 million each year, a considerable increase on the annual US$1.1 million they get under the current contract.
All told, CBS sports will broadcast an annual 23 football games and 32 basketball matchups, with Fox networks showing up to 23 regular season games across both sports each season.
The agreement ensures that CBS Sports Network will remain the Mountain West’s primary TV rights holder, airing the conference’s top football and men’s basketball games. The new deal also gives CBS an additional ten games of each sport per year.
In addition, CBS Television Network will air select football and men’s basketball games during the agreement, including the Men’s Basketball Championship. CBS Sports Network also has the option to show select Mountain West Conference Olympic Sports each year.
“Given both the strength of the Mountain West Conference and success of our partnership over the past 15 years, continuing our long-term relationship with the conference was a priority for us,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of programming at CBS Sports.
“Retaining the conference’s top games for CBS Sports Network is important and builds upon our already strong schedule. We look forward to an exciting future with the conference in the years ahead.”
The deal with Fox marks the first time that the Mountain West has partnered with the cable network, which replaces ESPN as its secondary partner.
Fox gains exclusive rights to Boise State home football games and to the Mountain West Football Championship game, while it will also carry a full slate of football and men’s basketball games each year across its linear platforms.
Similarly to the deal with ESPN, Boise State will continue to receive a higher percentage of the conference’s TV revenue share.
“The Mountain West is excited to begin this next cycle with Fox Sports as a new partner,” added Craig Thompson, Mountain West commissioner, which is still negotiating its third-tier rights. “The relationship allows us to be part of the network’s growing collegiate programming and we look forward to working together toward mutual success. This agreement positions us well now and for the future.”
The news comes shortly after it was reported that CBS had dropped out of negotiations with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) after initially tabling a bid worth US$300 million per year to retain the conference’s premium college football package of 15 to 17 games per season.
That package is now expected to be picked up by ESPN, which according to Sports Business Journal is finalising a deal worth an annual fee ‘in the low US$300 million range’.
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