NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The Atlantic 10 Conference reached rights agreements with both CSTV and ESPN, deals that would give both companies men's and women's college basketball. Terms of the split deal weren't announced.
CSTV, which recently was acquired by CBS Corp., will have several hundred men's and women's basketball games from the Atlantic 10 Conference on either the channel or via broadband beginning in fall 2006. The CSTV agreement also includes the rest of the conference's sports as well.
ESPN's pact gives it 16 men's and women's basketball games a year through the 2009-10 season, including eight men's and one's women's game on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC plus six men's and one women's game on ESPNU, the company's college-sports channel. ESPN also will carry the conference championship. ESPN already has Atlantic 10 rights and in its smaller package will have the ability to select the games it wants before the season begins.
Both ESPN and CSTV have negotiated wide-ranging new-media rights with Atlantic 10, including broadband, video-on-demand, wireless and satellite radio. CSTV president and chief executive Brian Bedol said Wednesday that the broad package of rights is the network's approach.
"We are focused on providing the fan with comprehensive access on a 24-hour-a-day basis, wherever they are, whenever they want it," Bedol said. "We believe the mix of broadband, wireless and linear television provides the most value."
The Atlantic 10 deal gives CSTV an even larger package of rights than it had before. It has major deals with Conference USA through 2011 and the Mountain West, which will begin in August and run through 2011. It has other deals for broadband coverage as well.
The Atlantic 10 Conference includes the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, George Washington University, the University of Massachusetts and Temple University.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060126/sp_nm/basketball_dc_1
CSTV, which recently was acquired by CBS Corp., will have several hundred men's and women's basketball games from the Atlantic 10 Conference on either the channel or via broadband beginning in fall 2006. The CSTV agreement also includes the rest of the conference's sports as well.
ESPN's pact gives it 16 men's and women's basketball games a year through the 2009-10 season, including eight men's and one's women's game on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC plus six men's and one women's game on ESPNU, the company's college-sports channel. ESPN also will carry the conference championship. ESPN already has Atlantic 10 rights and in its smaller package will have the ability to select the games it wants before the season begins.
Both ESPN and CSTV have negotiated wide-ranging new-media rights with Atlantic 10, including broadband, video-on-demand, wireless and satellite radio. CSTV president and chief executive Brian Bedol said Wednesday that the broad package of rights is the network's approach.
"We are focused on providing the fan with comprehensive access on a 24-hour-a-day basis, wherever they are, whenever they want it," Bedol said. "We believe the mix of broadband, wireless and linear television provides the most value."
The Atlantic 10 deal gives CSTV an even larger package of rights than it had before. It has major deals with Conference USA through 2011 and the Mountain West, which will begin in August and run through 2011. It has other deals for broadband coverage as well.
The Atlantic 10 Conference includes the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, George Washington University, the University of Massachusetts and Temple University.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060126/sp_nm/basketball_dc_1
