CBS Sports Network

CBS Sports Network is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Skydance. It began in 2002 as the National College Sports Network, later called College Sports Television (CSTV). It showed sports and had websites for many college teams.

In 2006, CBS bought the network, and in 2008, it was renamed the CBS College Sports Network. By February 2011, it became CBS Sports Network to reach more people. It still focuses on college sports but also shows smaller leagues, events, and sports radio shows from the Infinity Sports Network and Audacy's WFAN.

By May 2015, CBS Sports Network reached about 61 million homes in the United States with cable television. Since then, new numbers have not been shared.

History

The CBS Sports Network started in 1999 when Chris Bevilacqua shared an idea with Brian Bedol and Stephen Greenberg to create a channel showing college sports all day. The channel, first called the National College Sports Network, launched in 2003 with its first show being a women's basketball game between Connecticut and Notre Dame. It was the first independent pay-TV channel to be shown nationwide.

In 2005, the channel was bought by Viacom, and then by CBS Corporation in 2006. In 2008, it became the CBS College Sports Network and moved its studios. By 2011, the network changed its name to CBS Sports Network to include more types of sports shows beyond just college games.

High definition

A high-definition version of the channel started in August 2008. Before that, two NCAA basketball games in March 2008 were shown on CBS in regular definition. CBS Sports Network uses a special flag to show its shows in a widescreen format for people with older TV sets.

Programming

CBS Sports Network shows many kinds of sports programs, including special shows, talks, and documentaries. It covers many college sports like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and more from big college leagues across the country.

In 2006, the network started an event called the Collegiate Nationals, featuring sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. Later, it added new shows and sports events, such as hockey games and bowling tournaments. The network also began showing programs like Rome, a sports talk show, and NFL Monday QB, focusing on football discussion.

Sports broadcast rights

College sports

Main article: NCAA on CBS

Professional sports

CBS Sports Network shows many exciting sports events. Some of these include soccer matches like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. They also cover rugby, golf, strongman competitions, tennis, and more. The network brings fans live games and reruns of past events in many different sports.

Motorsports

CBS Sports Network also features motor racing events. This includes off-road racing, snowcross, and other exciting car competitions like the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and Formula E. Fans can watch both live races and highlights from past competitions.

Carriage

CBS Sports Network is on most TV services in the United States.

In Canada, Rogers Cable began showing CBS Sports Network on October 9, 2008. Bell Satellite TV carried the channel from September 2009 until August 2014, then brought it back in August 2015. Some sports events, like NFL and NCAA basketball tournament games, were not shown in Canada. On December 31, 2024, CBS Sports Network stopped being available in Canada.

In February 2009, CBS Sports Network made a deal with DirecTV, moving the channel to a more common package on February 25, 2009. Later, Cox Communications added the channel in Orange County, California and Arizona on August 1, 2009. AT&T U-verse added it on February 17, 2010, and Cable One added it in some areas on August 1, 2011. In July 2019, DirecTV and AT&T U-verse removed the channel due to a disagreement, but it returned on August 8, 2019, after they made a new agreement.

On-air staff

The CBS Sports Network has many announcers, reporters, and hosts who help bring sports events to life for viewers. Some of these people include Adam Zucker, Brent Stover, Dave Ryan, and Tom McCarthy, among others. They have been part of the team for many years, starting from 2003.

The network also has special analysts for football and basketball. For football, analysts like Corey Chavous and Randy Cross share their insights. For basketball, analysts such as Alaa Abdelnaby and Dan Bonner give expert commentary. Many of these analysts have been with the network since 2003, with new talents joining each year.