Friday, April 09, 2004

CSTV IS OFFERING UCONN NATION:



CSTV IS OFFERING UCONN NATION: HUSKYMANIA AND GENO AURIEMMA DOCUMENTARIES TO CABLE OPERATORS NATIONWIDE ON VIDEO-ON-DEMAND

Time Warner Cable Signs Up To Present UConn Nation and Coach Specials On VOD

CSTV Provides VOD Specials In Conjunction With UConn's Becoming First College To Win NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships In Same Year


NEW YORK, April 7, 2004 - Fresh off the University of Connecticut's becoming the first college to win the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships in the same year, CSTV: College Sports Television (www.collegesports.com), the fastest-growing independent cable network, is offering its UConn Nation: Huskymania and Coach: Geno Auriemma original productions to cable operators nationwide on video-on-demand. Time Warner Cable has already signed up to present the two College Sports TV specials on video-on-demand to all of its digital customers nationwide.

"The unparalleled success of the Connecticut men's and women's basketball programs and the tremendous outpouring of support from every corner of the state is a story like no other in college sports," said Brian Bedol, president and CEO, CSTV. "These two College Sports TV documentaries capture the passions, relationships and loyalties that make college sports so special. We are taking advantage of the latest video-on-demand technologies to enable operators to provide their customers with convenient access to this special programming."

UConn Nation: Huskymania celebrates the phenomenal success of the University of Connecticut's men's and women's basketball programs over the last 15 years, the statewide love affair with the teams and student-athletes, and the various ways the university has benefited from the unprecedented success of its basketball teams. The special features interviews with UConn men's and women's basketball coaches Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma, respectively, Connecticut Governor John Rowland and former Husky greats Rebecca Lobo (1995 National Player of the Year), Ray Allen (two-time All-America), Jennifer Rizzotti (1996 National Player of the Year) and Chris Smith (UConn men's basketball all-time leading scorer), among others. Tom Cavanagh, the star of the hit NBC series Ed who played varsity basketball while attending Queens College in Ontario, narrates the special.

The Geno Auriemma special, part of College Sports TV's critically acclaimed Coach original series, features Auriemma, a five-time National Coach of the Year, in a freeform discussion with three of his former National Players of the Year - Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird and Jennifer Rizzotti. The group discuss the special bonds Auriemma has developed with Lobo, Bird, Rizzotti and other former and current players, his motivational techniques, and how the lessons learned by the players on the court endure long after their playing days are over.

College Sports TV's Coach series delivers the in-depth perspective on college sports' legendary coaches as provided by the former student-athletes who were their star pupils. Subjects of other Coach specials have included 1980 Olympic "Miracle on Ice" coach Herb Brooks, former North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, former Syracuse men's lacrosse coaches Roy Simmons Sr. and Jr., Saint John's (Minn.) football coach John Gagliardi, legendary Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable, Boston University hockey coach Jack Parker and the late Loyola (Md.) women's lacrosse coach Diane Geppi-Aikens.

College Sports TV, the first 24-hour college sports network, is available to more than 20 million homes nationally on cable and satellite. The network is available on Time Warner, Adelphia and Insight cable systems, among others, and is also available on DirecTV (channel 610). For information on CSTV availability in particular markets, consumers can log on to www.collegesports.com or call their cable or satellite operator.

CSTV is comprised of two primary business units: College Sports TV and CollegeSports.com. College Sports TV televises regular season and championship event coverage from every major collegiate athletic conference and televises nine NCAA Championships. In addition, the network has a programming and marketing agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee. CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, and its network of 150 official athletic sites for top colleges, universities and athletic associations, is the number one online source for college sports news, information, scores and analysis.

College Sports TV was co-founded by President/CEO Brian Bedol, Chairman Stephen Greenberg and Executive Vice President Chris Bevilacqua. Bedol and Greenberg co-founded Classic Sports Network, which they sold to ESPN and which is now ESPN Classic. Bevilacqua is a former senior executive with Nike Inc., where he headed the company's successful foray into the college market.

###

Eric Handler
CSTV: College Sports Television
212-342-8760
ehandler@cstv.com