Conference USA Inks New Rights Deals with ESPN, CBSSN, ASN, and beIN Sports

Conference USA has reached a new multi-year agreement for a comprehensive national television package with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, the American Sports Network (ASN) and beIN SPORTS. ESPN networks will televise the C-USA Football Championship games and five regular season games apiece in 2016 and 2017, while CBS Sports Network will air the 2017 C-USA Men’s Basketball Championship title game for the first time, as well as the Women’s Basketball Championship game, six football games, and and six men’s basketball contests during the regular-season. ASN and beIN Sports will combine a variety of C-USA events across multiple sports. 

“We explored a number of traditional, digital and additional outlets during the negotiation process,” said C-USA commissioner July MacLeod. “Our interests are aligned, and we are very excited about the potential of these partnerships.”

American Sports Network (ASN) returns for its third season as a Conference USA partner. ASN is a division of Sinclair Networks Group, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country with 173 television stations in 81 markets, broadcasting 483 channels, including pending transactions. The terms of the agreement guarantees ASN will showcase a minimum of 15 regular-season football games, 13 regular-season men’s basketball games and two women’s basketball games per season. Furthermore, it has the option to select additional inventory up to 15 football, 42 men’s basketball, three women’s basketball and 10 Olympic sport events and conference championships. This January, ASN launched a 24/7 channel in nine markets and is currently found within 20 markets.

Conference USA becomes the first collegiate conference to partner with beIN SPORTS, a global leader in sports content distribution and the number one growing Nielsen-rated cable network in the United States. Together, beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español have 45 million subscribers. The conference’s multi-year deal consists of 10 football games, 10 men’s and 10 women’s basketball games, 12 baseball and 12 softball games, 10 men’s and 10 women’s soccer matches and 10 women’s volleyball games.