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NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA (July 19, 2006) - CSTV Networks, Inc. and Comcast are teaming up to launch The mtn. - MountainWest Sports Network, which will deliver to fans the full action and excitement of Mountain West Conference athletics. The announcement was made today by Brian Bedol, President and CEO, CSTV Networks, Inc., Jack Williams, President and CEO, Comcast SportsNet, and Craig Thompson, Commissioner, Mountain West Conference.
The mtn., which will bring unprecedented exposure to Mountain West Conference athletics, will initially premiere on Comcast systems in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, including expanded basic service in the Salt Lake City market, and digital cable service in the Denver, Colorado Springs, and Albuquerque markets. These markets are home to more than half of the MWC's nine members which include: the Air Force Academy; Brigham Young University; Colorado State University; San Diego State University; TCU; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of New Mexico; University of Utah; and University of Wyoming.
The mtn. will be available to cable and satellite providers throughout the nation. Comcast and CSTV each own 50% of the network, which will be managed by Comcast. Additionally, CSTV will be added to Comcast's digital basic systems in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.
"Comcast is the perfect partner for The mtn." Bedol said. "Not only does the company have a strong connection with these markets, they understand the value of quality programming and know what it takes to launch and maintain a successful sports network. This is a tremendous step for The mtn., which has already established its leadership position as the first network dedicated to exclusively covering a collegiate conference, offering more games and more sports than have ever been available before."
Williams said, "Comcast and CSTV are leaders in connecting fans with the teams they're passionate about through innovative sports programming. This partnership capitalizes on our collective sports media expertise, Comcast's distribution resources, and the action and excellence of MWC athletics. Sports fans have a new home for more MWC action than ever before and The mtn. has a solid foundation for growth."
"Through the collaborative efforts of CSTV, Comcast and the Mountain West Conference, the mtn. will be prominently positioned as not only the first network devoted to a single league, but also as an industry leader in both television programming and intercollegiate athletics," said MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson. "This is another major step towards building the Mountain West brand and we would like to express our appreciation to both CSTV and Comcast for their efforts."
The mtn. will give fans access to more MWC athletics than has ever been offered before across 19 different conference sports, including at least 25 football games, 75 men's basketball games, women's basketball games, conference championships, and men's and women's Olympic sports, such as swimming and diving, soccer, and tennis. The mtn. will also carry press conferences, coaches' shows, pep rallies, and feature stories on athletes and coaches. Other programming will tap into local sports culture. Supplemental MWC coverage, including selected football and basketball games, will appear on CSTV and Comcast's OLN network, which will be changing its name to Versus in September, 2006.
In addition to televised coverage, fans will experience integrated multimedia cross-platform coverage of MWC athletics. This agreement includes rights for coverage on a myriad of other platforms, including Comcast's signature video on demand service, CSTV.com's industry-leading broadband product, high definition, wireless devices, as well as on iTunes and podcasts.
