LOGAN — Mountain West Conference football and men’s basketball action is and will continue to be headed to a television near you. Thursday afternoon the conference announced, in conjunction CBS Sports and Fox Sports, a pair of new six-year media rights agreements.
The deal with CBS Sports, which begins with the 2020-2021 season and runs through 2025- 2026, extends the network’s long-term relationship with the Mountain West. CBS Sports Network will continue to serve as the primary television rights holder, airing the conference’s best football and men’s basketball games. New to the agreement, the network will also televise an additional 10 games of each sport per year.
“Given both the strength of the Mountain West Conference and success of our partnership over the past 15 years, continuing our long-term relationship with the conference was a priority for us,” Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of programming for CBS Sports, said in the release. “Retaining the conference’s top games for CBS Sports Network is important and builds upon our already strong schedule. We look forward to an exciting future with the conference in the years ahead.”
As for the deal with Fox Sports, it is the first of its kind between the MWC and the network. Similar to the aforementioned CBS Sports deal, it is a six-year agreement, beginning in 2020-21 and running through 2025-26. Fox Sports will have exclusive rights to Boise State home football games and to the Mountain West Football Championship game, in addition to a full slate of football and men’s basketball games that will be carried each year across the various FOX Sports platforms.
“FOX Sports is pleased to add the Mountain West to our roster of top-tier collegiate athletics partnerships,” FOX Sports President, National Networks, Mark Silverman said in a release. “We look forward to showcasing these exceptional programs, coaches and student-athletes in the years to come.”
MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson was more than pleased about both agreements, noting about the CBS Sports deal, “The Mountain West is pleased to enhance and strengthen our mutually beneficial association with CBS Sports. We are particularly excited about the opportunity to showcase our strong brand and premier football and men’s basketball teams on CBS Sports Network and the CBS Television Network. Our member institutions appreciate the commitment being shown to the Conference by CBS Sports.”
On the deal with Fox Sports, Thompson said, “The Mountain West is excited to begin this next cycle with FOX Sports as a new partner. The relationship allows us to be part of the network’s growing collegiate programming and we look forward to working together toward mutual success. This agreement positions us well now and for the future.”
Noelle Cockett, President of Utah State University and chair of the Mountain West Board of Directors, also weighed in.
“This significant partnership provides essential exposure and revenue advancements to the Mountain West and its member institutions,” Cockett said in a news release. “It will contribute to the continued development of our individual athletics programs and, by extension, our collective efforts to advance the Conference.”
A complete list of the media agreements and what they entail can be found in the image below.
