Additional Information On The MWC-CSTV Agreement
- The new partnership with CSTV will enable the MWC to take a leadership role as a pioneer in college sports media, new media and broadcasting. This deal is a real tribute to the MWC, in that, after just five short years, the Conference's stature and marketability could command this level of exposure and revenue.
The Mountain West Conference took a very aggressive and proactive approach toward securing the best possible arrangement for the future of the league, and the institutional Presidents were fully engaged in the television negotiations process.
- This arrangement allows the MWC and its member institutions to regain a measure of control of their assets and bring intercollegiate athletics more in line with the academic mission of the institution. This includes no opportunity to schedule Tuesday-Wednesday football contests, as was directed by the MWC Board of Directors, elimination of 10 p.m. Big Monday basketball contests, elimination of 6- and 12-day football telecast selections and a narrower time window for telecasts.
Men's basketball broadcasts will start between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. local times on weekdays. All football game broadcasts will have start times no earlier than 12 noon and no later than 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturdays. Thursday and Friday games for football will start no earlier than 6:00 p.m. local time.
The MWC Board of Directors placed an emphasis on playing football and basketball games at times that fans prefer, not what is dictated entirely by television.
- The MWC has guaranteed itself at least the same amount of national exposure it currently receives via eight (8) football and seven (7) men's basketball games annually that will be distributed nationally by CSTV via over-the-air network (e.g., ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN or WB) and national cable third parties (e.g., ESPN, ESPN2, FSN, TBS, TNT, USA, WGN). Those appearances are over and above what will be a significant number of national exposures on CSTV, including up to 24 football and 40 men's basketball telecasts annually.
Olympic sports and championships will also dramatically increase their opportunities for exposure via telecasts and other vehicles. For example, it is anticipated the MWC will televise women's basketball games on a weekly basis (12-15 games per season), in addition to coverage of the Conference tournament.
- This new agreement provides the MWC member institutions with greater revenue to help with the challenge of balancing athletic budgets. A significant increase in guaranteed rights fees has been secured for the MWC, and mechanisms have been installed to protect the rights fees from being undervalued in the future. This deal also provides for potentially significant upside revenue via participation in revenue streams involving new media and emerging technologies.
- The Mountain West Conference and CSTV will be partners in every aspect of this relationship, providing the opportunity for the MWC to have greater authority in scheduling and branding. This partnership is designed to create a completely integrated, multi-platform vehicle to advance the MWC and CSTV brands concurrently. It provides an opportunity for the maximization of all elements, rather than leaving many opportunities unfulfilled.
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