Cumulus Media’s Westwood One will remain the audio home of NCAA championships after securing a multi-year renewal with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, continuing a partnership that has helped define how fans experience college sports on radio for more than four decades.
The extension ensures Westwood One keeps its role as the NCAA’s official network audio broadcast partner, preserving a relationship that dates back to 1982 when the network first aired the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Since 2005, Westwood One has carried every game of NCAA March Madness across a wide range of platforms, building a distribution model that blends traditional radio reach with modern streaming accessibility.
As part of the renewed agreement, Westwood One will continue to hold exclusive radio and digital audio rights for several of the NCAA’s premier championship events, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the NIT and WBIT, along with the men’s and women’s College World Series. That portfolio reinforces the network’s position as a dominant audio player in collegiate athletics while ensuring consistent national coverage of marquee events.
NCAA Director of Championships, Digital Nate Flannery emphasized the importance of continuity in the partnership, pointing to Westwood One’s ability to deliver high-level coverage across multiple platforms while maintaining accessibility for fans nationwide.
“Westwood One has been an exceptional partner in bringing NCAA championships to fans across the country,” said Flannery. “Their long‑standing commitment to comprehensive, high‑quality audio coverage makes it possible for fans to experience the excitement of our championships wherever they are. We’re pleased to extend this relationship and continue providing access to NCAA events for millions of listeners nationwide.”
Meanwhile, Westwood One President Collin Jones framed the extension as both a validation of the network’s reach and an opportunity to further enhance the presentation of college sports on audio.
“We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with the NCAA and continue bringing the power, passion, and pageantry of college sports to fans nationwide,” said Jones. “This renewed agreement reflects the unmatched reach of Westwood One’s audio network and our shared commitment to elevating the championship experience for athletes, schools, and listeners everywhere. The best moments in college sports are still ahead-and we can’t wait to deliver them.”
Although the core of the agreement centers on radio, the broader distribution strategy reflects how audio consumption has shifted in recent years, with fans increasingly turning to digital streams and mobile platforms. Westwood One’s coverage will continue to air on its extensive affiliate network while also being available through SiriusXM, its dedicated sports app, its website, and NCAA March Madness Live, ensuring a multiplatform presence that aligns with current audience behavior.
In an era where live sports rights continue to command significant value across television and digital ecosystems, the renewal underscores the enduring importance of audio as both a companion and primary experience for fans. By maintaining exclusivity across key championships, Westwood One not only preserves its legacy in college sports broadcasting but also positions itself to adapt as listener habits continue to shift.
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