CBS Sports Network To Bring Tim Brando Show to TV

Consider Tim Brando the first face of the new CBS Sports Network.

The recently rebranded network announced that it will air Brando’s Sporting News Radio show on television beginning in August. The Tim Brando Show will originate from a custom-built studio — still in development stages — in Shreveport, LA, and will be integrated with New York City-based CBS Sports Network operations before being sent out to air.

The announcement is in line with CBS Sports’ efforts to reposition its brand in an attempt to compete with the heavy-hitters in the cable sports marketplace. In February, CBS announced that CBS College Sports Network would be renamed simply CBS Sports Network. The move took affect on April 4, and CBS has slowly been assimilating new programming in an effort to broaden the network’s reach beyond the college market.

“This show with Tim fits the bill here in that he’s a CBS guy and he has been for a really long time,” says David Berson, EVP, CBS Sports/President, CBS Sports Network. “We felt that expanding exposure of a CBS Sports personality, as we look to expand the amount of daily topical content we have, will be a natural fit.”

The show is slated to air from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET and will be staged similarly to ESPN2’s Mike & Mike in the Morning simulcast. Berson adds that, while 75%-80% of the show will still be college-driven, its format will expand to discuss the entire world of sports.

“CBS Sports Network will expose the show to a new audience and produce a high-quality, entertaining telecast that I know fans will enjoy,” says Brando. “It’s thrilling for me every day to be talking about sports in this format, and I’m lucky to now have two great media partners on board.”

It has been an active month for CBS Sports, which is looking to line up both its parent company and CBS Sports Network as a formidable force in live-game and daily topical content. Earlier this month, the Eye network signed former Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez as an on-air personality and, this week, agreed to a multiyear deal with the Patriot League to broadcast football, basketball, and lacrosse games. CBS already has deals with Army, Navy, Conference USA, The Mountain West conference, and the Atlantic 10.

“Part of the intention of the rebrand and the closer alignment with CBS Sports,” says Berson, “is seeking out smart ways to better capitalize on CBS Sports properties and personalities.”

The Tim Brando Show, now in its tenth year, is part of the Sporting News Radio network and can be heard on affiliate stations across the country, as well as on Sirius channel 94 and XM channel 208. Sporting News Radio is a product of Mission Media Group, a Houston-based firm that creates and distributes sports audio content.