Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group said it made a deal that will put football games streaming on Allen’s HBCU Go on duopoly stations owned by Paramount’s CBS Station group in 12 key markets.
With the addition of the CBS Stations, the football games will be available on TV stations in 60% of U.S. households and 70% of African-American households.
HBCU Go, acquired by Allen last year, serves the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. HBCU Go has deals with the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference that gives it cable, linear, streaming broadcast, VOD and pay-per-view rights to NCAA Division 2 HBCU sporting events.
In addition to appearing on the TV stations, the games will be available on the HBCU Go app and website and Allen’s Sports.tv streaming service.
Also: Byron Allen’s New Digital Division Launches Streaming Sports.TV
The season kicks off on September 3 with a pre-season show featuring NFL and Black College Hall of Famers and other HBCU alumni. On September 10, Albany State takes on Florida A&M.
Allen Media Group will sell national commercials in the games under a barter arrangement with the stations.
“Allen Media Group is thrilled that the CBS O&O stations have joined our excellent group of broadcast television station partners to increase the reach of HBCU GO’s high-quality sports programming,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “We are proud to amplify these amazing athletes and HBCUs, while at the same time helping to finance the education of these young adults. Now sports fans across the country will have access to best-in-class games from America’s HBCUs.”
“As a Louisiana native and football fan, I am personally and professionally proud to play a role in having our stations shine a light on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the student athletes who are living out their dreams both on the field and in the classroom,” added Wendy McMahon, president and co-head of CBS News and Stations.
In addition to the CBS-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami and Pittsburgh, Allen Media Group has deals to air HBCU Go games on stations owned by Nexstar, Gray Television, E.W. Scripps, Tegna, Sinclair, Lockwood, Allen Media Broadcasting, Hearst, Circle City Broadcasting, Cowles, Graham, Block, Sun Broadcasting, Tougaloo College, Sagamore Hill and Marquee.
The HBCU Go app is available on Roku, Amazon, Fire TV and Apple TV. ■
