Summit League Network.. BB finals to CBS Sports Network

[Hansel]

https://thesummitleague.org/news/202...and-midco.aspx

The new partnership with CBS Sports will boost the profile of The Summit League by providing more nationally televised basketball games than ever before. Starting with the upcoming basketball season, CBS Sports Network will televise at least six Summit League regular-season men’s basketball games with an opportunity to add an additional six men’s or women’s games. The schedule of regular season contests to air on CBS Sports Network will be released in the fall. Member institutions will retain the local linear distribution rights for any games not on CBS Sports Network.

In addition to the regular season, CBS Sports Network will televise select games during the 2024 Summit League Basketball Championships. The Women’s Championship semifinals and final, along with the Men’s Championship final will air on CBS Sports Network in the traditional tournament slots. This is the first time in the history of the Summit League that the semifinals will be televised nationally.

Both Summit League finals in 2025 and 2026 will be televised by CBS Sports Network with the men’s and women’s semifinals in those years having the potential to be televised based on scheduling availability.

[THEsocalledfan]

I think this is a bad move for NDSU for a few reasons:

1. Already got an email from SDSU (since I've bought tickets from them) that all their games will no longer be on ESPN+. You have to buy Midco + access, so good luck watching other teams aligned with Midco.
2. Losing ESPN coverage for the men's and women's final is bad no matter how you slice it.
3. CBS sportsnetwork is about as hard to find on sports packs at PAC12 network. I think a few years ago, I had to sign up for a free trial of Hulu TV to watch a Mountain West football game.
4. Good luck finding much of anything, other than NDSU, on ESPN+.

Here is a direct quote from the SDSU email, and sure this will be the same for USD and UND:

SIOUX FALLS — Summit League officials, in partnership with Midco Sports, announced Thursday the creation of the Summit League Network, a digital streaming platform that will showcase hundreds of regular season and postseason tournament contests.

In addition, a three-year agreement with CBS Sports Network also has been signed, boosting the profile of The Summit League by providing more nationally televised basketball games than ever before.

"The Summit League is ecstatic to announce a new relationship with CBS Sports and an expanded partnership with Midco. This is a historic moment for the League, and these relationships will give fans a better experience to consume Summit League content, with more national exposure on CBS Sports Network and enhanced digital content through Midco," said Summit League Commissioner Josh Fenton.

The Summit League Network will provide a centralized platform to watch broadcasts of regular season home games featuring all nine current league members, as well as conference championship events not selected for broadcast by national television/linear partners. SLN is powered by the Midco Sports Plus app, which is available in mobile/tablet apps (iOS and Android), connected TV device apps (AppleTV, FireTV, and Roku), and a web-based browser interface at MidcoSportsPlus.com.

Subscriptions cost $9.99 a month or $79.99 for 12 months. Current Midco Sports Plus customers will see their rate increase in September.

As a result of this extended partnership between The Summit League and Midco Sports Plus, video streaming of South Dakota State athletic events through Jackrabbits All-Access at GoJacks.com has ceased, effective immediately. Video streaming of Jackrabbit football (Midco Sports Plus and/or ESPN+), wrestling (FloWrestling) and equestrian (YouTube) will continue under current partnerships not affiliated with The Summit League.

Free audio streaming of all SDSU football, men's basketball and women's basketball, plus select baseball and softball games, will continue to be available through the Jackrabbit Sports Network.

Starting with the upcoming basketball season, CBS Sports Network will televise at least six Summit League regular-season men's basketball games with an opportunity to add an additional six men's or women's games. The schedule of regular season contests to air on CBS Sports Network will be released in the fall.

In addition to the regular season, CBS Sports Network will televise select games during the 2024 Summit League Basketball Championships. The Women's Championship semifinals and final, along with the Men's Championship final will air on CBS Sports Network in the traditional tournament slots. This is the first time in the history of the Summit League that the semifinals will be televised nationally.

Both Summit League finals in 2025 and 2026 will be televised by CBS Sports Network with the men's and women's semifinals in those years having the potential to be televised based on scheduling availability.

For more information, review the list of frequently asked questions or log on to SummitLeagueNetwork.tv .

[HerdBot]

Will we still be om WDAY Xtra?

How much revenue will this generate?

[KSBisonFan]

Anytime your teams are moving away from an ESPN platform, which most already subscribe to, to CBSSN, I don't see that as a positive for fans.

Guessing there's some extra revenue for the schools or this makes no sense.

Not getting the men's BB championship on ESPN2, is a huge fail.

Will the local linear rights retained by teams still be broadcast on ESPN+ for those of outside the area or is everything on the Summit League Network requiring another subscription?

Edit: sounds like ESPN+ option will only be for FB. All other sports (except wrestling) move to SLN.

[NDSU2006]

I wish this would lead to a change in the days of the tournament but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[TAILG8R]

EDIT: Realized poster was most likely talking about basketball and other sports..

[TAILG8R]

Until I know more details this sounds like a clusterfuck of some games sometimes for some schools will be on this streaming service or that one or this one ....

[TAILG8R]

Reading the Summit League's press release things are a bit clearer.

"SLN will be a subscription-based, one-stop shop for all Summit League digital content and serve as the exclusive streaming home for live and on-demand coverage of the member institutions."

This seems pretty cut and dry that any Summit League game/match that is going to be streamed has to be streamed only on the SLN.

So now I have to have ESPN+ for football and MidcoPlus(SLN) for basketball. Yay. This is obviously a better overall approach for the other schools but when a school like NDSU was already making sure their games were on streaming networks it's a downgrade imo. We will see how this affects WDAY Xtra. My guess is they won't be able to stream but can broadcast OTA. Which again, has very little value to me since I don't have cable or a big ass antenna on my roof.

[Professor Chaos]

Was hoping this means that the SLT finals don't need to be on a Tuesday night anymore but don't see any mention of that so I assume that isn't the case.

[TAILG8R]

Also you can't just subscribe to the CBS Network. It's not an a la carte streaming service ...

Guess I'll be watching the BBall tourney through FirstRowSports courtesy of every malware known to man.