or


[11/03/05 - 12:00 AM]
CBS to Acquire CsTV: College Sports Television Networks

[via press release from CBS]

CBS TO ACQUIRE CSTV: COLLEGE SPORTS TELEVISION NETWORKS

Popular Cable and Satellite Sports Network with Nearly 15 Million Subscribers, More Than 250 Collegiate Athletic Websites and Fast-Growing CSTV.COM, Plus Soon-To-Launch Regional Cable College Sports Networks, Mark CBS�s Entry Into Cable Sports Arena

CBS today announced the acquisition of CSTV Networks, Inc., the leading digital media company devoted exclusively to college athletics. The announcement was made by Leslie Moonves, Chairman of CBS and Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer of Viacom Inc.

CBS is acquiring CSTV Networks, Inc. for $325 million. The transaction is likely to close in early January 2006, after certain governmental approvals are obtained, and after the split of Viacom into two discrete entities, which is expected by the end of 2005. At that time, consideration for the transaction will be in CBS Corporation Class B non-voting common stock.

The new cable programming entity will be operated by its founder and CEO, Brian Bedol, who will report to Moonves. The acquisition includes:

� A digital cable network featuring 30 men�s and women�s college sports events and nearly 15 million subscribers by year end and growing; license deals now include numerous sports agreements with colleges, universities and conferences across the nation;

� Online properties consisting of a network of more than 250 official college athletic websites -- each maintained and managed for its institution by CSTV -- featuring full video and audio, news, scores, community elements and e-commerce for retail college sports-related products;

� A fast-growing website, www.CSTV.com, that supports the cable networks and other online properties. In its most recent analysis, Comscore Media Metrix ranked the CSTV.com network as one of the top 10 destinations with the greatest prior monthly increase in unique visitors during the month of September 2005, with a 43 percent increase from August and more than 7.5 million unique visitors;

� Regional College Sports Networks to be launched in 2006, featuring the sporting events of the Mountain West Conference and Conference USA, including Utah, Brigham Young University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Marshall and others.

�I am very excited about this acquisition, which brings a new dimension to our efforts in sports and the digital space as well,� said Moonves. �We�re not only getting hugely valuable assets here, we�re acquiring a superb management team that has a proven record in building lucrative sports television franchises. College athletics and the online community it generates represent one of the biggest sectors in sports television, and CSTV has made tremendous strides in capturing this market. We think it�s a natural fit for our company and we�re confident that, as part of CBS, it will continue to grow and compete even more aggressively.�

Moonves added: "As the founder of The Classic Sports Network and other ventures, Brian has proven himself to be a truly creative business manager with a track record of getting things done. I am particularly pleased that he and his partner Chris Bevilacqua come along with this deal. They will be a valuable addition to the CBS team.�

�CSTV was built to offer college sports enthusiasts access to content for which they have passion, whether it be on television, the Internet or any platform, for that matter,� said Bedol. �Through this transaction, we will now have the ability to help those consumers transition from the mass media of CBS Sports to the personalized media of the Web, and many points in between. Taking our partnership with CBS to this level is the ideal way to solidify our growing business. Chris and I couldn�t be more enthusiastic about the exciting days that lie ahead.�

Moonves further noted that the new collegiate sports business would work closely with the Company�s existing operations at CBS Sports and CBS Digital Media, assuring that the new cable sports operations are fully integrated into CBS�s activities in those arenas. With this acquisition, CBS Corporation will have a larger sports Web audience than any other online medium -- 19 million unique users.

�Putting our existing resources and events together with these great cable and online assets makes tremendous sense,� Moonves added. �In bringing our operations under one roof, our presence in the college sports community grows even stronger, and the programming possibilities on national cable, regional sports networks and the Internet are very exciting indeed. Add to that our ability to leverage the best advertising sales organization in the business to build new revenue across all our television platforms, and you have a truly great deal.�

Brian Bedol is CEO of CSTV Networks, Inc. (www.CSTV.com). 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.

Prior to co-founding CSTV, Bedol was the Creator, Co�Founder and CEO of Classic Sports Network, now known as ESPN Classic. Classic Sports Network, a cable channel launched to critical and popular acclaim in May 1995, is considered one of the cable industry's greatest against�the�odds success stories. It was sold to ESPN in October 1997.

Before he created Classic Sports Network, Bedol served as Senior Vice President of Time Warner Enterprises, where he was involved in the launch and supervision of several of Time Warner's entrepreneurial business units, including Quincy Jones Entertainment, CourtTV and Six Flags Theme Parks. Bedol's responsibilities included the oversight of Six Flags' creative and marketing operations, and he also sat on the company's board of directors. During his tenure, Six Flags set all�time attendance, revenue and profit records.

Earlier in Bedol�s career, he worked as a writer and producer in the early days of MTV at Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment. During this period he also supervised on�air promotion for The Movie Channel and helped develop the business plan for Nick-at-Nite.

A native of Cleveland, Bedol holds a B.S. degree from Boston University's College of Communications and an M.B.A. from Harvard.

CSTV Networks, Inc. is the leading digital sports media company, connecting more fans to more college sports than any other company. Its many platforms for programming distribution include CSTV: College Sports TV, televising regular-season and championship events for 30 men�s and women�s college sports; CSTV.com and its network of nearly 250 official athletic sites; CSTV All Access, online and pay-per-view subscription services providing live audio and video of more than 6,000 events annually; as well as satellite television and radio, in-flight entertainment, wireless networks and more. Further information is available at www.CSTV.com.

Upon the split of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), the CBS Corporation will be a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. It will have operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and UPN), cable television (Showtime), local television (Viacom Television Stations Group), television production and syndication (Paramount Television and King World), radio (Infinity Broadcasting), advertising on out-of-home media (Viacom Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster) and theme parks (Paramount Parks).





  [november 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[09/10/26 - 07:31 AM]
Video: NFL Netflix GameDay - Melbourne Kicks Off Live Tonight with Opening Teaser from Director Peter Berg
For the team. For the moment. For the love of the game.

[09/10/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Below" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a mysterious sea creature starts terrorizing a coastal town, a fisherman must fight to protect his family and his community's vanishing way of life.

[09/10/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "American Horror Story: 13" - Official Trailer - FX
Bringing together an all-star cast, many of whom are reprising fan favorite roles, "AHS: 13" continues to build on the anthology's decades-long legacy that has been streamed more than 700 million hours across the globe and spawned a legion of dedicated fans.

[09/10/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Is It Cake? Halloween" Season 2 - Sneak Peek - Netflix
Six talented cake artists put their skills to the test as they whip up Halloween-themed cakes to trick the judges and claim the grand prize.

[09/10/26 - 06:25 AM]
The Country Music Association Announces Nominees for "The 60th Annual CMA Awards"
Ella Langley tops the list with nine nominations, while other top nominees include Miranda Lambert with seven nominations, Kacey Musgraves and Ben West with five nominations each, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. with four nominations each, and Dave Clauss, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson with three nominations each.

[09/10/26 - 06:01 AM]
National Geographic Unveils "Africa Earth's Wild Home," The First Season of a New Multiyear Natural History Franchise and One of the Most Ambitious Series About Africa Ever Produced
Presented by Rolex, the series premieres October 2 at 8:00 p.m. EDT on National Geographic and streams October 3 on Disney+ and Hulu.

[09/10/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Gift of Deceit" - Netflix Reveals the Title of Its New Brazilian Series and Teaser Featuring Marieta Severo, Alice Wegmann, and Nanda Costa
Get ready for a story filled with secrets, family intrigue, and questionable alliances, under the direction of Mauro Mendonça Filho.

[09/10/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Last First: Winter K2" - Official Trailer - Apple TV
A documentary movie exploring extreme mountaineering's changing culture during a treacherous winter K2 expedition following John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Sadparas, directed by Amir Bar-Lev.

[09/10/26 - 05:01 AM]
Video: Netflix Unveils the Official Trailer for "A Day Like No Other," The Series About Raphael's Life
Javier Morgade and Carlos Santos portray Raphael at two stages of his life - his youth and his maturity, respectively - in a story that explores the highs and lows of the artist's life.

[09/09/26 - 11:35 PM]
Video: "Shaque: Trust No One" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Nine years after her baby is abducted, a mother's relentless search uncovers secrets around her and tests whether she can trust what she sees.

[09/09/26 - 05:01 PM]
Electrifying Korean Rom-Com Series "Take Charge of My Heart" to Spark Love on October 9
A corporate heir with an artificial heart meets a woman who's literally electric. They strike a deal that makes his heart beat - in more ways than one.

[09/09/26 - 03:52 PM]
"College GameDay" Wins Week 1 With Top-Three Regular Season Show on Record
Coverage of Clemson/LSU was the top Saturday game of Week 1.

[09/09/26 - 03:30 PM]
ESPN's US Open Coverage Is Most-Viewed Since 2022 Through Third Round
The full-tournament average so far is up 5% over 2025 and the most viewed since 2022, the year of Serena Williams' final match before her return this year.

[09/09/26 - 01:01 PM]
Star-Studded Lineup Set to Present at the 78th Emmy Awards, Sept. 14 on NBC and Peacock
They'll join host Emmy Award-winning actor, director, producer and television icon Mariska Hargitay.

[09/09/26 - 12:09 PM]
ESPN to Exclusively Televise MLB Doubleheader on September 23 Featuring Matchups with Postseason Implications
Look for Cleveland Guardians/Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros/Seattle Mariners on said date.