Conference USA announces multiyear television package

Conference USA has signed multiyear television contracts with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, American Sports Network and beIN Sports, the league announced Wednesday.

The 2016 and ’17 C-USA football championship games will be televised on an ESPN network (which one was not announced). Five regular-season football games will be shown in ’16 and ’17 on ESPN networks.

CBS Sports Network will carry six regular-season football and six men’s basketball games next season, in addition to the men’s and women’s championship basketball games.

Most of C-USA’s coverage will be on American Sports Network, which will show a minimum of 15 football games, 13 men’s basketball games and two women’s basketball games each season. ASN also has the option of adding as many as 15 football games, 42 men’s basketball games, three women’s basketball games and 10 Olympic sports events and league championships.

BeIN sports, which is known for its international soccer coverage, will show 10 football games, 10 men’s basketball games, 10 women’s basketball games, 12 baseball games, 12 softball games, 10 men’s and women’s soccer games and 10 volleyball games over the course of the multiyear deal.

Financial terms of the deals weren’t disclosed. News reports recently have indicated that they are substantially less than C-USA’s deal with Fox Sports, ASN and CBS Sports Network that expires this summer, shrinking from $1.17 million to between $300,000 and $400,000 per school.

The league’s football television schedule will be released next week. The Charlotte 49ers’ season opener against Louisville is set for Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. on the ACC’s regional sports network.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Conference USA announces multiyear television package."