Jan. 11, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
IRVING, Texas - Conference USA has entered into long-term agreements with ESPN, Inc. (ESPN) and College Sports Television Networks, Inc. (CSTV), Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky announced today. The new agreements contain six-year initial terms to begin July 1, 2005 and conclude June 30, 2011.
"We are very pleased with these new agreements," said Banowsky. "The Conference's financial goals will be met and we will have more events distributed to a broader audience than ever before. This is a great day for Conference USA."
The agreement with ESPN extends the conference's current regular season football package to include the broadcast of the conference's Football Championship Game, starting with the inaugural game in 2005. It also encompasses distribution of men's basketball and women's basketball on ESPN/ESPN2 and both tournament championship games. The C-USA content granted to ESPN may also be available through the collection of ESPN entities such as ESPN Mobile (wireless), ESPN Interactive, ESPN Broadband (ESPN 360), ESPN.com, ESPN Pay-Per-View, ESPN Video-on-Demand, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and more.
"ESPN continues to be a great partner and their strength provides a showcase of Conference USA's football and basketball to a massive audience," said Banowsky.
"With this agreement, fans will continue to enjoy the very best Conference USA action on the ESPN networks including the exciting, new football championship," said John Wildhack, ESPN senior vice president, programming. "We look forward to advancing our strong association with our friends at the conference level as well as the member schools by using the array of ESPN entities to deliver Conference USA related content to college sports enthusiasts wherever they are."
The agreement with CSTV is comprehensive in nature and includes significant national and regional exposure for football, men's and women's basketball, and all other Conference USA sports. Additionally, the CSTV agreement includes video-on-demand, Internet, broadband, national over-the-air and satellite radio, and wireless distribution as well as corporate marketing rights, and website production through CSTV Online, a subsidiary of CSTV.
"The CSTV component is key," said Banowsky. "CSTV has a dynamic vision and an excellent management team. The potential of this partnership is staggering. CSTV will be a major player in this industry, there is no doubt about that."
"CSTV is proud to be a major player in this transformation of Conference USA," said CSTV President & CEO Brian Bedol. "For us, this partnership continues our building process as the leading digital sports media company, with our sole mission focused on reaching the maximum number of college sports fans across all technology platforms, whenever, however and whatever they want."
Conference USA is preparing for a transition to a new membership model. Beginning in 2005-06, C-USA will consist of 12 member institutions that all participate in football and men's and women's basketball - East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF and UTEP. The league will span nine states and include significant television markets such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans and Orlando.
ABOUT ESPN
ESPN, Inc. is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of seven domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU (launching March 2005), ESPN Today), ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (networks and syndication), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, SportsTicker, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN360 (formerly ESPN Broadband), ESPN Wireless, ESPN Video-on-Demand, ESPN Interactive and ESPN PPV. Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
ABOUT CSTV
CSTV, which launched April 7, 2003, is a multi-media company that consists of the first-ever 24-hour college sports television network, College Sports TV; the leading college sports online network, CollegeSports.com; and the first ever 24-hour college sports radio network, SIRIUS College Sports Radio. Through its numerous platforms, CSTV provides more live college sports games, events, news, information, analysis and broadband content, and reaches more college sports fans, than any other company.
CSTV, the fastest-growing independent cable network, has agreements with distributors that serve more than 65 million households nationwide. It has deals with the top six distributors - Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner, Charter, Cox and Adelphia, among others. CSTV is expected to be available on cable in all Conference USA markets when the partnership commences this August. The network currently is available on cable in Conference USA markets Houston, Orlando, Birmingham, New Orleans, Memphis, Charleston-Huntington, W.V.