CHICAGO – Sports broadcaster Bill Hazen is being named to the announce team on the newly-formed American Sports Network. He will call the action of Conference USA events airing on the national sports channel.
Hazen is best known for his play-by-play work with three NBA teams, numerous college and syndicated conference TV packages and national and international broadcasts on ESPN International. He has called the NBA Finals, the World Series, NFL football, the NBA Development League Playoffs and numerous conference championship events (Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, MAC, MVC, Mid-Con and Gulf South).
Hazen is already a familiar voice for many Conference USA fans. He is heard daily and weekly on C-USA radio programs syndicated throughout the conference via Bill Hazen Productions. These programs include Today in Conference USA (the flagship daily sportscast of the conference) and Talking Conference USA Football/Basketball (a weekly summary of each sport in season). Thirty-nine radio stations carry Conference USA programming produced and distributed by BHP.
“I am so very excited to be working with the Sinclair Broadcast Group and Conference USA on the new American Sports Network,” Hazen said. “The reach of this network will be extraordinary and will expose C-USA and other conferences to sports fans throughout the country.
“In my work with Conference USA on radio, I've learned how many great stories the conference has to tell,” he continued. “This new relationship will provide richly-deserved exposure for C-USA, its member institutions and conference student athletes.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group is the largest television station owner in the United States. Through its owned-and-operated stations division, Sinclair reaches approximately thirty-nine percent of American television households. The American Sports Network will air over digital channels in these markets, as well as on cable systems carrying these channels. Sinclair will seek additional distribution through digital channels and cable systems in markets not served directly by its properties.
In addition to Sinclair, Conference USA has national television partnerships with Fox Media Group, CBS Sports Network and ESPN. C-USA institutions are in eight of the Top 45 media markets, and four of the Top 25. Additionally, the C-USA Digital Network offers live streaming of competition, press conferences and special events as well as pre-produced stories and promotional pieces. C-USA home markets will include more than 13.4 million TV households - a 30 percent increase from the 10.1 million homes reached just two years ago.
Bill Hazen Productions is in its fifth year providing syndicated radio services for Conference USA, including creating, producing and distributing the conference's unique radio programs. Today in Conference USA remains the first and only daily Division I conference radio sportscast in America. The widely-imitated Talking Conference USA Football/Basketball program focuses on weekly coverage, telling in-depth stories about C-USA athletes, coaches and administrators. The program also features a unique look at Conference USA by the Numbers. Bill Hazen Productions also produces two nationally-syndicated weekly radio programs, College Sports Weekly and StadiumsUSA Radio.
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