CBS buyout of CSTV will enhance MWC

The Mountain West and CSTV are linked to the future. It's a done deal. Thank ESPN for the memories.

But the CBS acquisition of CSTV just made the partnership sweeter.

There are myriad reasons why last week's $325 million purchase of CSTV by CBS made the future TV home of the conference much brighter and exciting.

But perhaps the biggest reason is an old-fashioned tool used in the world of business. It has been around ever since somebody figured out he could sell beans or carved bones or fur off some animal.

It is called clout.

The MWC partner CSTV just got a hammer to carry around. It will affect deals, bargaining, marketing, promotions, flexibility and a lot of ability to call in chips when they count. It is the model shown by ESPN's partnership with ABC — and we all know how that's gone.

"We were already very pleased with the CSTV partnership to broadcast our games," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said. "Now everything is just more enhanced and the possibilities for exposure have increased."

It is evident CSTV's owners already had technology and financing on their side — plus a void to fill, including Olympic sports. Now add CBS, owned by media conglomerate Viacom, and you see there is a very big sledge hammer in the tool box.

Other CBS partners in this entertainment game include Internet capabilities with CBSsportsline.com. CSTV is tied to 120 college sports web sites and is expected to add rights to 130 more.

CBS might be able to leverage other programs like MTV and Spike to get CSTV switched from the digital tier on cable systems around the country. CSTV was just added to DishNetwork and already was partnered with DirectTV. The new CBS will consist of CBS Television Network, UPN, Infinity Broadcasting, the Viacom television stations group, Paramont Television, King World, Simon and Schuster, and Showtime.

The $100 million seed money for CSTV came from the locally known Dave Checketts, J.P. Morgan Partners, Constellation Ventures, TowerBrook Capital Partners and CocaCola Co.

Clout, baby, clout.

Another spin-off of CBS clout is the ability to broadcast more NCAA tournament games, especially early events in the first and second rounds, which may be ignored because there simply isn't room on the airwaves. CBS holds $6 billion rights to put college hoops postseason on TV and now has gained a niche ally.

Said NCAA president Myles Brand: "We have a very strong working relationship with CSTV. Of course, we have a great relationship with CBS . . . I do expect there will be some additional early round tournament games shown that might not otherwise be shown nationally."