As the first round of March Madness begins on Thursday, Cumulus Media’s Westwood One and the NCAA have entered into a multi-year renewal agreement for game broadcasts.
Terms of the deal were not released. The deal comes on the heels of Cumulus’ recent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, as it seeks to eliminate $600 million in debt.
Westwood One retains exclusive broadcast radio and digital audio distribution and licensing rights for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, the NIT, WBIT and Men’s and Women’s College World Series.
The men’s basketball first round begins on Thursday while the women’s starts on Friday.
Westwood One’s broadcast crew of Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel and P.J. Carlesimo will call the action for the men’s Final Four and National Championship in English, a release said. Andy Katz will serve as courtside reporter, while Jason Horowitz and Nick Bahe host pregame, halftime and postgame coverage from Indianapolis.
Westwood One has broadcast the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament since 1982 and every game of NCAA March Madness on multiple platforms since 2005, according to a release.
All live coverage is available on Westwood One affiliates, Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, streamed online at Westwood One’s website, the Westwood One Sports app and on other platforms including NCAA March Madness Live.
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