http://www.conferenceusa.com/news/20...ment_2018.aspx

C-USA ANNOUNCES MULTIMEDIA RIGHTS PARTNERSHIPS

CBS SPORTS TO BECOME PRIMARY RIGHTSHOLDER FOR C-USA FOOTBALL AND MEN’S BASKETBALL INCLUDING CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN BOTH SPORTS

STADIUM EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH C-USA FOR FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL

BOTH PARTNERS TO PRODUCE SELECT GAMES TO AIR EXCLUSIVELY ON FACEBOOK AS PART OF SUBLICENSE AGREEMENTS

IRVING, Texas – Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod announced today new innovative multimedia rights partnerships. A multi-year agreement makes CBS Sports the primary rightsholder for C-USA football and men’s basketball, televising the conference’s best games, including the championship game in each sport on CBS Sports Network.

MacLeod also announced that Stadium has expanded on last year’s partnership and will receive a strong selection of C-USA football and men’s basketball games.

Complete Release (PDF)

“While exploring our options for future exposure, continuing our tremendous relationship with CBS Sports was a priority given our history,” said MacLeod. “We recognized this was an ideal opportunity to build on our existing partnerships with CBS and Stadium to stay on the forefront of broadcasting through both digital distribution and traditional means. We will continue pioneering fresh and innovative ways to deliver our diverse audience a multitude of viewing options on emerging platforms.”

Beginning with the 2018-19 season, CBS Sports Network will broadcast nine football games plus the C-USA Football Championship and eight men’s basketball games per year, as well as the C-USA men’s basketball championships semifinals and men’s and women’s basketball championship games.

CBS Sports also has reached an innovative deal with Facebook to sublicense and produce select C-USA football and basketball games that will broadcast exclusively on Facebook. The agreement allows for three football games and six basketball games per year to air on Facebook. The games will be a CBS Sports production, with CBS Sports announcers, graphics and branding.

“We are excited to extend our relationship with Conference USA for another five years and welcome Facebook as our new partner,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “This unique deal allows CBS Sports Network to become the primary home of Conference USA, televising the conference’s top games, including the championship games for both sports. And in doing so, we are bringing on a new partner in Facebook, sublicensing select games and extending the CBS Sports brand to a new platform.”

Building on last year’s successes, Stadium will broadcast 15 football games and 17 men’s basketball games for the 2018-19 season. The deal includes the men’s quarterfinal rounds in the league’s annual basketball championship. The multi-platform sports network will broadcast seven of the 15 football games and 10 of the 21 men’s basketball games exclusively on Facebook. It will also continue to produce C-USA events for all of its digital and broadcast distribution partners including WatchStadium.com, the Stadium apps, and over-the-air broadcast and cable retransmission, in select markets. A full list of ways to watch Stadium can be found here: https://watchstadium.com/where-to-watch/.

"We are thrilled to deepen and extend our relationship with Conference USA, its great member institutions and fan bases, and with our partners at Facebook,” said Stadium CEO, Jason Coyle. “We are excited to work with the Conference to ensure that its games are produced and distributed at the cutting edge of sports media."

Stadium launched its 24/7, all-platform sports network in August 2017, and began its groundbreaking live streaming partnership with Facebook in 2017-18. The first Stadium game on Facebook Watch took place on September 2, 2017 when Miami played at Marshall. Stadium will continue to deliver uniquely coordinated production assets and social elements for its Facebook Watch broadcasts, making the viewing experience as interactive and personal as possible.

The games produced by CBS Sports and Stadium for Facebook will be available to fans in the U.S. on Facebook Watch. Fans globally will be able to access these games via CBS Sports and Stadium’s respective show Pages.

“No matter if it's at a tailgate or on Facebook, college sports bring people together,” said Rob Shaw, Facebook Sports Media and League Partnerships Lead. “So we're thrilled to partner with CBS Sports and Stadium to distribute exclusive, live Conference USA games to a global audience on our platform. We look forward to collaborating with these great broadcast partners to deliver interactive and social productions on Facebook Watch. This will enable fans to experience the excitement of C-USA football and basketball in unique and engaging ways next season.”

The full schedule of games and their corresponding distribution outlets will be announced at a later date.

About Conference USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Irving, Texas, that services 14 institutions of higher education – Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Now in its third decade, Conference USA has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community.

About CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is widely available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App by authenticating with select providers. For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

About Stadium
Stadium is the original, cord cutter’s 24/7 sports network; a multi-platform network featuring exclusive live and on-demand games and events, extensive highlights, classic games, original programming, and daily live studio programming. Stadium includes a 24/7 linear feed distributed across both digital and broadcast platforms, as well as a comprehensive array of on-demand (VOD) digital content including additional live games and events. Stadium is owned by a collection of industry leaders including Silver Chalice, Sinclair Broadcast Group, BAMTech, the NHL, the PGA TOUR, and Meredith Corp. To learn more, visit: http://watchstadium.com/.

About Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a place to discover and enjoy shows on Facebook. Home to a wide range of shows – from scripted comedy and drama, to competition and reality series, to individual creators and live sports – Facebook Watch is a video platform where episodic content, community and conversation come together. This is a personalized viewing experience, where you can discover new series based on what your friends are watching, and catch up on the shows you follow. Facebook Watch is available for free on mobile apps across Apple and Android, on desktop, laptop and on TV apps listed here: https://videoapp.fb.com/.