News Release
CSTV is First Independent Network to Sign Distribution Agreements With Five Largest Cable Operators and DirecTV
Recent Deals with Charter and Cox Give CSTV Agreements With
Distributors Representing More Than 65 Million Households Nationwide
NEW YORK, December 13, 2004 – CSTV: College Sports Television (www.collegesports.com), the first and only 24-hour college sports network, has become the first independent network to sign distribution deals with the five biggest cable operators and DirecTV. CSTV, which now has distribution agreements with Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner, Charter, Cox, Adelphia and other cable operators, has agreements with distributors representing more than 65 million households nationwide.
“This is tremendous news which caps off a perfect ‘season' for CSTV,” said Brian Bedol, president and CEO, CSTV. “It is gratifying that the marketplace recognizes our market leadership. The response from consumers, affiliates and marketers to the broad and powerful appeal of college athletics has been overwhelming. We are delivering on our promise of delivering compelling programming while creating innovative platforms to help our distribution partners enhance their revenue streams.”
“CSTV has done a magnificent job of using the latest technology to transform itself into the leading college sports media company and, in the process, change the sports media landscape,” said Neal Pilson, president of Pilson Communications, a sports television consulting company, and a former president of CBS Sports. “CSTV is that rare independent cable network success story, a network which has found its niche amidst a wave of media consolidation.”
According to a Beta Research Study whose results were released earlier this year, CSTV ranked #1 overall in interest among all operators served about adding emerging and mid-sized networks in 2004.
Charter serves over six million households in markets such as Los Angeles, Ft. Worth, St. Louis, the Atlanta suburbs, Birmingham, Reno, Madison, Wis., Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C. and Worcester, Mass. Cox also serves more than six million households in markets such as San Diego and Orange County in California, Phoenix, Tucson, New Orleans, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Providence, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
CSTV is already available on cable in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Denver and Houston, as well as Kansas City, San Diego, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle, Portland, Ore., South Florida and other markets.
CSTV has televised more college sports than any other network since launching in April 2003. The network has televised more than 6,000 hours of original programming spanning 30 men's and women's college sports, including basketball, football, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball and wrestling. CSTV's event, studio and original programs have covered more than 1,000 colleges across all NCAA divisions and the NAIA. CSTV televises regular season and championship event coverage from every major collegiate athletic conference and also televises nine NCAA Championships. The network also covers more women's sports than any other network, including 3,000 hours of original programming since launch.
CSTV's CollegeSports.com and its network of more than 170 official athletic sites for colleges, conferences and athletic associations provide distribution partners with unparalleled broadband content. CollegeSports.com's “College Sports Pass” subscription service offers more live and on-demand video and audio of college sports than any other service.
CSTV is a multi-media company that consists of the first-ever 24-hour college sports television network, College Sports TV; the leading college sports online network, CollegeSports.com; and the first ever 24-hour college sports radio network, SIRIUS College Sports Radio. Through its numerous platforms, CSTV provides more live college sports games, events, news, information, analysis and broadband content, and reaches more college sports fans, than any other company.
College Sports TV, voted the No. 1 emerging cable network in the 2003 Beta research study, televises regular season and championship event coverage from over 35 men's and women's sports across every major collegiate athletic conference as well as many select NCAA Championships.
CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, and its network of more than 170 official athletic sites are the No. 1 online source for college sports broadband content, news, information, scores and analysis. SIRIUS College Sports Radio will broadcast a comprehensive package of college football and basketball games from teams in the Big Ten, Big 12, BIG EAST, Pac-10 and SEC conferences, as well as from Notre Dame.
CSTV was co-founded by President and CEO Brian Bedol, Chairman Steve Greenberg and Executive Vice President Chris Bevilacqua. Bedol and Greenberg co-founded Classic Sports Network, which they sold to ESPN. It is now ESPN Classic. Bevilacqua is a former senior executive with Nike Inc., where he headed the company's successful foray into the college market.
Eric Handler
CSTV: College Sports Television
212-342-8760
ehandler@cstv.com
or
Kathy Lynn
Rubenstein Communications
212-843-8023
klynn@rubenstein.com