THE VARSITY NETWORK TO LIVE-STREAM WESTWOOD ONE'S AUDIO COVERAGE OF NCAA® CHAMPIONSHIPS
LEARFIELD and Westwood One Agreement Tips Off with March Madness® Coverage
PLANO, Texas, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Varsity Network app – created for college sports fans by LEARFIELD company SIDEARM Sports – will be home to live audio streams of Cumulus Media's (NSDQ: CMLS) Westwood One's coverage of March Madness. Under the terms of a multi-year agreement between LEARFIELD and Westwood One, all NCAA Championships broadcast by Westwood One will be available on The Varsity Network.
"We are thrilled to be able to provide these live championship streams of Westwood One's broadcasts as part of The Varsity Network," stated Rick Barakat, executive vice president and managing director for LEARFIELD's Media & Partnerships Group. "When we created this app, it was with the idea of providing fans with live and on-demand access to college content they cannot find anywhere else – and providing free audio to all NCAA Championships and every men's March Madness game takes our content delivery for college sports fans to another level."
The Varsity Network will feature an exclusive and innovative listening experience called the Varsity Multicast, that will allow fans to listen to all Westwood One national radio broadcasts of the men's and women's basketball tournaments.
"Our radio broadcasts have been a staple of the NCAA Tournament for 40 years," noted Bruce Gilbert, Senior Vice President, Sports, Content and Audience, Cumulus Media | Westwood One, which has broadcast every NCAA Men's Tournament since 1982. "We're thrilled to give fans the ability to hear every exciting play of an event that annually captivates fans across the nation."
As part of the deal with Westwood One, The Varsity Network app will also provide listeners with all of Westwood One's coverage across other NCAA sports, including the Division I Men's and Women's College World Series, Division I Men's and Women's Frozen Four, and Division I Men's and Women's Lacrosse Semifinals and Championships.
Fans can download the app for iPhone or Android use for instant access to free gameday audio streams and receive push notifications to remind them of games starting or upcoming audio broadcasts. Games played by nearly 200 schools affiliated with LEARFIELD are available via The Varsity Network app, in addition to dozens of other SIDEARM partner institutions.
About LEARFIELD
LEARFIELD is a leading media and technology services company in intercollegiate athletics. The company unlocks the value of college sports for brands and fans through an omnichannel platform with innovative content and commerce solutions. LEARFIELD services includes licensing and multimedia sponsorship management; publishing, audio, digital and social media; data analytics; ticketing, ticket sales and professional concessions expertise; branding; campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue technology systems. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions. Visit LEARFIELD.com for more information.
About Westwood One
Westwood One, the national-facing arm of Cumulus Media (NSDQ: CMLS), offers iconic, nationally syndicated sports, news, and entertainment content to more than 250 million monthly listeners across an audio network of nearly 9,500 affiliated broadcast radio stations and media partners. Westwood One is the largest audio network in America, home to premium content that defines the culture, including the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, CNN, the AP, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and Westwood One Backstage. Westwood One broadcasts some of the most exciting sporting events across multiple audio platforms. In addition to NCAA Basketball, including the NCAA Men's and Women's Championships and the Final Four; it is also the exclusive provider of the Men's and Women's Frozen Four, the Men's and Women's Lacrosse Championship, and the Men's and Women's College World Series. Westwood One has been the exclusive network radio partner to the NFL since 1987. Westwood One also distributes and represents CBS Sports Radio. The rapidly growing Cumulus Podcast Network delivers popular network and industry personalities and programs. Westwood One connects listeners with their passions through programs and platforms that have everyone listening. For more information, please visit westwoodone.com.
SOURCE LEARFIELD
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