CBS Sports Network will carry eight regular-season men's basketball games for C-USAGETTY IMAGES
Conference USA has signed new multimedia rights deals with CBS Sports, Stadium and Facebook, and it "appears the ESPN empire is out," as CBS will become the "primary rights-holder in the package," airing the conference's football and men’s basketball games, according to Doug Smock of the CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL. No financial details were released, but a source "expects it to pay more than the $200,000-$250,000 per school per season of the two-year deal" with ESPN that is "wrapping up now." C-USA's separate deal with beIN Sports "runs another year" (CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL, 3/15). The AP noted the deal with CBS Sports "begins next season and runs through" '22-23 (AP, 3/14). In Texas, Brett Vito notes CBS Sports Network will "carry the league's championship games in both sports in addition to nine regular-season football games, eight regular-season men's basketball games, the semifinals of the men's basketball tournament and the men's and women's basketball tournament title games." CBSSN and Stadium will also "produce games that will be shown exclusively on Facebook." CBS will broadcast "three football games and six basketball games" on the social media site, while seven of Stadium's football games and 10 of its basketball games will land on Facebook. C-USA schools will "benefit from the new contract due to a drop in production costs," as they were previously "required to pay production costs for home games shown on ESPN3." North Texas AD Wren Baker tweeted the new agreements "provide significantly more revenue & broader distribution ... without adding production costs" (DENTON RECORD-CHRONICLE, 3/15).
ART OF THE DEAL: The HATTIESBURG AMERICAN writes C-USA's new multimedia rights partnerships are "innovative" (HATTIESBURG AMERICAN, 3/15). In Orlando, Matt Murschel writes the new deals come as the conference is "desperately seeking an influx of revenue." The league ranks "dead-last among payouts shared with its members among the non-autonomous conferences at around $200,000 per school under its previous media rights deal" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/15). SB NATION's Tanner Spearman wrote making someone other than ESPN the "primary rights holder seems risky, especially in terms of exposure." ESPN is "far more widely available than CBSSN and is more recognized by the casual sports fan," while "streaming ESPN is considerably easier." On the other hand, ESPN is "so saturated with content that a lot of their productions are strictly streaming online via ESPN3" (SBNATION.com, 3/14).
