CBS Sports Network Inks Multi-Year Deal with AVP Pro Beach Volleyball

The AVP has reached a multi-media agreement with CBS Sports Network and CBS Interactive to showcase the 2013 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. CBS Sports Network will air live men’s and women’s Championship round action from each of the five Tour stops, while CBS Interactive will provide a live stream of the preliminary rounds from each event on AVP.com.

The tour kicks off on Friday, August 16 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and culminates Sunday, October 20, in Huntington Beach, CA, just down the street from the new home of the AVP. The Tour features the world’s best players including Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rogers, Silver Medalists Jen Kessy and April Ross; and Olympians Sean Rosenthal, Jake Gibb, and Nicole Branaugh – all of whom have been signed exclusively by the AVP.

“There are a couple of new stops on this year’s AVP schedule that will add to its long history as the pre-eminent domestic tour. I’m already back in training and both proud and excited to be competing in the upcoming AVP season,” says 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist and AVP athlete Kerri Walsh Jennings.

To add to this sentiment, Olympic Gold Medalist and AVP Tour player Todd Rogers said, “I’m really looking forward to playing on the tour this year. Even though the AVP is recognized around the world as the pinnacle of pro beach volleyball, the new ownership has ignited new interest in the league and the sport for 2013. ”

The agreement with CBS Sports Network marks AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour’s return to television for the first time since the summer of 2010. In addition to player signings, the AVP has renewed an agreement with long-time AVP partner, Wilson Sporting Goods, making it The Official Volleyball of the AVP Tour. Wilson has renewed its sponsorship and licensing commitment for three more years through the 2015 season and represents the first of several sponsorship partners that the AVP is planning to announce for the 2013 season and beyond.

The 2013 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour will stop in five cities:

Salt Lake City, Utah – August 16 to August 18

Cincinnati, Ohio – August 31 to September 1

St. Petersburg, FL – September 14 to 15

Santa Barbara, CA – September 28 to 29

Huntington Beach, CA – October 19 to 20

“We are excited to launch 2013 with an incredible roster of athletes and a solid five-city tour schedule,” said Dick Carle, chairman of the AVP. “We have set ourselves up to provide a thrilling and competitive season, enhanced by our great new CBS Sports partners.  Teaming with CBS Sports Network elevates beach volleyball and the AVP brand to another level. We know that the Network’s coverage will provide an incredible opportunity for fans to embrace beach volleyball as the sport of summer.”

“Beach volleyball is a high-energy sport that appeals to a wide audience, and we are thrilled to be the AVP’s exclusive television partner for the tour,” said Dan Weinberg, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports Network. “The AVP is a strong brand that has aligned with the world’s best volleyball players, and together with CBS Interactive, we’re excited to showcase competitive live beach volleyball action.”

As a highlight in each of the five-city Tour stops, the AVP Cares nonprofit program will continue its’ Serve and Protect America’s Beaches initiative. This unique program allows the AVP to support organizations that help preserve the beautiful beaches and coastlines of the US, such as the Surfrider program, while also paying homage to the brave men and women of the US armed forces.