History of CBS Sports Network in Timeline

CBS Sports Network, owned by Paramount Global, is an American digital cable and satellite television network that launched in 2002. Originally called the National College Sports Network, it started as a multi-platform media brand encompassing its main website, collegesports.com, and a network of websites for the athletic departments of 215 colleges and universities.

1999: Idea for CSTV Conceived

Chris Bevilacqua presented the concept for a dedicated 24/7 college sports network to Fusient Media Ventures in 1999.

June 2002: National College Sports Network Founded

Chris Bevilacqua pitched his idea for a 24/7 college sports subscription network to Brian Bedol and Stephen Greenberg of Fusient Media Ventures in 1999. The network, initially called the National College Sports Network, was founded in June 2002.

2002: National College Sports Network Launch

The National College Sports Network, later renamed College Sports Television (CSTV), was founded in 2002. What would eventually become CBS Sports Network started as a multi-platform media brand with a website and a network of athletic department websites.

February 23, 2003: College Sports Television Launch

College Sports Television (CSTV) launched on February 23, 2003, as the first independent pay-television channel with nationwide distribution via DirecTV.

November 2005: Viacom Purchases College Sports Television

Viacom acquired College Sports Television for $325 million in November 2005.

January 2006: CBS Takes Control of CSTV

CBS Corporation, Viacom's legal successor, assumed control of CSTV in January 2006.

April 2006: First Collegiate Nationals

The network organized the first Collegiate Nationals in April 2006, a festival of championships for collegiate action sports.

November 11, 2006: CSTV and Comcast Launch MountainWest Sports Network

CSTV partnered with Comcast to launch the MountainWest Sports Network in the fall of 2006, a network dedicated to the Mountain West Conference. This partnership granted CSTV exclusive online and broadcasting rights to Notre Dame's game at Air Force, which sparked controversy due to CSTV's limited carriage compared to networks that typically aired Notre Dame games.

2006: CBS College Sports XXL Launch

CSTV launched CBS College Sports XXL, a subscription/pay-per-view service offering over 100 broadband channels dedicated to college sports and over 10,000 live events.

2006: Viacom Acquires CSTV

Viacom acquired College Sports Television in 2006.

2007: Second Collegiate Nationals

The Collegiate Nationals expanded in 2007, adding more sports, a national film and music competition, and a second venue in San Diego.

January 3, 2008: CSTV Integrated into CBS Sports

On January 3, 2008, CBS announced the integration of CSTV into CBS Sports, with Tony Petitti overseeing CSTV's operations.

February 12, 2008: CBS College Sports Network Launch and Integration of CSTV

CBS Corporation announced on February 12, 2008, that CSTV would be renamed the CBS College Sports Network on March 16 as part of its integration into CBS Sports.

March 2008: NCAA Basketball Tournament Games in HD

In March 2008, two NCAA basketball tournament games were broadcast in HD on CBS and converted to standard definition for other viewers.

August 2008: CBS Sports Network HD Simulcast Feed Launch

CBS Sports Network launched a high-definition simulcast feed, broadcasting at 1080i, in August 2008.

October 9, 2008: Rogers Cable Begins Carrying CBS Sports Network in Canada

Rogers Cable started carrying CBS Sports Network in Canada on October 9, 2008.

2008: CBS College Sports Network Launch

CBS rebranded CSTV as the CBS College Sports Network in 2008.

2008: Third Collegiate Nationals

For the third Collegiate Nationals in 2008, winter sports events were moved to Keystone Resort, and competitive eating was added.

February 25, 2009: CBS Sports Network Reaches Carriage Agreement with DirecTV

CBS Sports Network secured a new carriage agreement with DirecTV on February 25, 2009, moving the channel from the add-on "Sports Pack" to the "Choice Xtra" base package and expanding its distribution to 30 million subscribers.

July 7, 2009: Cox Communications to Add CBS Sports Network in Select Markets

On July 7, 2009, Cox Communications announced that it would add CBS Sports Network to its systems in Orange County, California, and Arizona, starting August 1, 2009.

August 1, 2009: CBS Sports Network Launches on Cox Communications Systems

CBS Sports Network was added to Cox Communications systems in Orange County, California, and Arizona on August 1, 2009.

September 3, 2009: Bell Satellite TV Adds CBS Sports Network

Bell Satellite TV added CBS Sports Network to its lineup on September 3, 2009.

October 2009: United Football League Begins Play

The United Football League, a second-tier professional football league, began play in October 2009.

February 17, 2010: AT&T U-verse Adds CBS Sports Network

On February 17, 2010, AT&T U-verse added CBS Sports Network to its lineup.

2010: "College Sports Tonight" Canceled

CBS College Sports Network canceled the show "College Sports Tonight" in 2010.

February 15, 2011: CBS Sports Network to Launch

On February 15, 2011, CBS announced that it would relaunch the CBS College Sports Network as CBS Sports Network on April 4 to reflect its expansion beyond college sports.

February 2011: CBS Sports Network Launch

CBS rebranded the CBS College Sports Network as CBS Sports Network in February 2011 to broaden its appeal beyond college sports.

August 1, 2011: CBS Sports Network Joins Cable One in Select Markets

On August 1, 2011, Cable One added CBS Sports Network in selected markets.

April 3, 2012: "Rome" Premieres on CBS Sports Network

CBS Sports Network premiered "Rome," a sports news and talk program hosted by Jim Rome, on April 3, 2012.

June 7, 2012: CBS Sports Network Airs Calder Cup Final

CBS Sports Network began airing the remaining games of the American Hockey League's 2012 Calder Cup Final on June 7, 2012.

July 26, 2012: CBS Sports Network Signs Deal with United Football League

CBS Sports Network signed a deal on July 26, 2012 with the United Football League to televise its games for the 2012 season. The UFL, a second-tier professional football league, covered all production costs and did not receive rights fees from CBS Sports Network.

September 2012: "NFL Monday QB" and "That Other Pregame Show" Premiere

CBS Sports Network introduced the NFL studio show "NFL Monday QB" in September 2012. The following season, CBS Sports Network premiered "That Other Pre-Game Show," a weekly, four-hour Sunday morning studio show intended to be a more relaxed and fan-oriented alternative to other NFL pregame shows.

2012: CBS College Sports Network Moves Studios

The CBS College Sports Network moved its studio shows from Chelsea Piers to the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in 2012.

April 26, 2013: CBS Sports Network Signs Deal with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series

On April 26, 2013, CBS Sports Network announced a deal to broadcast the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series for the rest of 2013 and the entire 2014 season.

September 8, 2013: CBS Sports Network Broadcasts FIA WTCC Race of the United States

On September 8, 2013, CBS Sports Network broadcast the FIA WTCC Race of the United States from Sonoma Raceway.

December 2, 2013: CBS Sports Network to Simulcast "Boomer and Carton"

On December 2, 2013, CBS Sports Network announced it would begin simulcasting the "Boomer and Carton" morning show from WFAN in New York City, starting January 2014.

2013: Notre Dame Returns to Mountain West

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish did not play another game against a Mountain West team until 2013.

August 21, 2014: Bell Satellite TV Drops CBS Sports Network

On August 21, 2014, Bell Satellite TV stopped carrying CBS Sports Network.

October 2014: CBS Sports Network Launches "We Need To Talk"

In October 2014, CBS Sports Network premiered "We Need to Talk," the first and only nationally televised all-female sports panel show.

March 2015: "Rome" Ends

"Rome" ended in March 2015.

May 2015: CBS Sports Network Reaches 61 Million Households

By May 2015, CBS Sports Network expanded its reach to approximately 61 million pay television households, representing 66.1% of households with cable television in the United States.

August 2015: Bell Satellite TV Brings Back CBS Sports Network

Bell Satellite TV resumed carrying CBS Sports Network in August 2015.

August 2015: CBS Sports Network Premieres "Time to Schein"

CBS Sports Network premiered its new program "Time to Schein", hosted by Adam Schein, in August 2015.

July 2017: CBS Sports Network Announces "Four Sides of the Story" Documentary Series

In July 2017, CBS Sports Network announced its new documentary series "Four Sides of the Story," which examines notable moments in sports history.

October 2017: "The Jim Rome Show" Simulcast Announced

CBS Sports Network announced in October 2017 that it would add a television simulcast of "The Jim Rome Show."

January 2, 2018: "The Jim Rome Show" Simulcast Begins

CBS Sports Network began simulcasting "The Jim Rome Show" on January 2, 2018.

April 4, 2019: Big3 Basketball League Moves to CBS and CBS Sports Network

The 3-on-3 basketball league Big3 announced on April 4, 2019, that it would move to CBS and CBS Sports Network for its 2019 season.

April 22, 2019: CBS Sports Secures Rights to Televise Select WNBA Games

On April 22, 2019, CBS Sports reached an agreement to televise select games from the WNBA, splitting coverage with ESPN/ABC. This deal marked CBS as the last of the Big Three television networks to cover the WNBA.

July 20, 2019: DirecTV and AT&T U-verse Remove CBS Sports Network Amidst Carriage Dispute

DirecTV and AT&T U-verse removed CBS Sports Network from their lineups on July 20, 2019, due to a carriage dispute with CBS Corporation.

August 8, 2019: CBS Sports Network Returns to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse

CBS Sports Network was restored to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse on August 8, 2019, after reaching a multi-year content carriage agreement.

November 2019: CBS Sports Acquires UEFA Champions League Broadcast Rights

In November 2019, it was reported that CBS Sports had acquired the U.S. English-language broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League beginning in the 2021–22 season.

January 9, 2020: Mountain West Conference Announces New Media Rights Deal with CBS and Fox Sports

The Mountain West Conference announced on January 9, 2020, that it had reached a new six-year deal with CBS and Fox Sports for its top-tier basketball and football rights.

September 11, 2020: Bellator MMA Events Move to CBS Sports Network

On September 11, 2020, Bellator MMA announced its events would move to CBS Sports Network after previously airing on Paramount Network.

2020: CBS Sports Begins UEFA Champions League Coverage a Year Early

CBS began its UEFA Champions League coverage in 2020, a year earlier than planned, after obtaining the rights to the remaining games of the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons from Turner Sports.

April 19, 2021: World Series of Poker Partners with CBS Sports

On April 19, 2021, the World Series of Poker and CBS Sports announced a multi-year rights agreement with PokerGO, making it the domestic television partner for the WSOP Main Event and other WSOP bracelet events.

January 2023: CBS Sports HQ Spotlight Launches on CBS Sports Network

Beginning in January 2023, CBS Sports HQ began producing "CBS Sports HQ Spotlight," a three-hour sports information show for CBS Sports Network.

April 27, 2023: CBS Sports Network Secures Multi-Year Deal with Canadian Football League

On April 27, 2023, CBS Sports Network announced a multi-year broadcasting rights agreement with the Canadian Football League, becoming the league's U.S. television rightsholder.