IRVING, Texas (AP) — Conference USA has agreed to a new five-year contract that will make CBS Sports Network the primary television home for the league’s football and men’s basketball games.
C-USA announced the deal with CBS Sports on Wednesday. Financial terms were not disclosed. The contract begins next season and runs through the 2022-23 season.
“While exploring our options for future exposure, continuing our tremendous relationship with CBS Sports was a priority given our history,” Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a statement. “We recognized this was an ideal opportunity to build on our existing partnerships with CBS and Stadium to stay on the forefront of broadcasting through both digital distribution and traditional means. We will continue pioneering fresh and innovative ways to deliver our diverse audience a multitude of viewing options on emerging platforms.”
The new agreement expands the conference’s partnership with Stadium, a digital sports network, and includes games produced by CBS Sports Network and Stadium to be shown exclusively on Facebook.
CBS Sports Network will broadcast nine C-USA football games and the conference championship. CBS Sports Network will carry eight men’s basketball games per season, the men’s tournament semifinals and the men’s and women’s basketball championships.
Stadium will broadcast 15 football games and 17 men’s basketball games next season, with seven of its football games and 10 basketball games streaming on Facebook.
C-USA is winding down media rights deals with CBS Sports Network, along with ESPN, beIN Sports and the American Sports Networks that reportedly paid its 14 members about $200,000 each per year.
North Texas athletic director Wren Baker tweeted that the new agreements provide “significantly more revenue & broader distribution through expansion of platforms which have proven to be popular with CUSA fans without adding production costs to institution budgets.”