The Mountain West will keep its football championship on Fox and its men’s basketball championship on CBS under the media deals announced Tuesday. Starting in 2026-27, The CW will carry conference games and fans will need a subscription for live games on the MW App.
The agreements begin with the 2026-27 season. CBS Sports, Fox Sports and streaming partner Kiswe signed through 2031-32; The CW signed through 2030-31. The package determines where conference-controlled football, basketball and Olympic sports events will appear.
Games not selected for national television will move to the enhanced MW App. This agreement covers events the conference controls, so it does not determine the outlet for every road game against a nonconference opponent.
Championships and national TV
CBS Sports
CBS Sports remains the primary partner after more than two decades with the Mountain West. Its package separates broadcast CBS from the cable channel CBS Sports Network:
- 15 regular-season football games per year on CBS Sports Network
- At least one football game each season will air on CBS (over-the-air) and stream on Paramount+
- 18 men’s basketball regular-season games will air on CBS Sports Network
- The Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championship Game remains on CBS
- Two regular-season women’s basketball games and the Mountain West Women’s Basketball Championship Game will air on CBS Sports Network
The men’s championship stays on broadcast CBS. Its quarterfinals and semifinals remain on CBS Sports Network, as does the women’s championship. CBS Sports Network is a cable channel, so fans will still need a television or streaming package that carries it for those games.
Fox Sports
Fox Sports retains the football championship game, along with regular-season football and men’s basketball:
- The football championship game on Fox
- 12 regular-season football games annually across Fox, FS1, and FS2
- 20 men’s basketball games per season
The CW
The CW adds a third broadcast network and a larger national women’s basketball package.
Beginning in the 2026-27 season, its annual schedule includes:
- 13 regular-season football games
- 20 men’s basketball games
- 15 women’s basketball games
The subscription app
The change for existing app users begins in July 2026, when the free service becomes a paid subscription powered by Kiswe.
What the app includes
The MW App will carry conference-controlled events outside the national television packages:
- Olympic sports not selected for national television
- Football and basketball games not selected by the television partners, regardless of the day they are played
- Other conference-controlled matchups outside the national television packages
- School-specific programming
Fans will have access to:
- More than 1,000 live events annually
- Full-game replays
- Highlights and original programming
The app will be available on:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Android TV
- Google Play and mobile devices
- Prime Video (via subscription beginning in fall 2026)
What viewers will pay
- If the games you want are on channels you already receive, the new agreement may not require another subscription.
- If you want the conference-controlled games assigned to the MW App, you will need its subscription. The announcement promises two pricing tiers with monthly and annual plans, but does not give their prices.
The conference says subscription revenue will return to member schools through a reinvestment model. Its announcement does not specify the revenue split or operating costs, so it does not establish how much of an individual subscription will reach a school.
Comparing the Two Deals
The rebuilt Pac-12 also has CBS, CBS Sports Network and The CW. Comparing the agreements is useful for understanding coverage, but their announcements do not disclose the financial terms needed to compare revenue per school.
The Pac-12’s USA Sports agreement adds 22 regular-season football games, 50 regular-season men’s basketball games and five to 10 regular-season women’s basketball games annually on USA Network. That gives it a substantial cable package alongside CBS and The CW.
The Pac-12’s football and men’s basketball championships will both air on CBS and Paramount+. Both leagues have secured broadcast championship exposure; the Mountain West’s paid app creates an additional decision for fans following its remaining conference-controlled events.
Additional programming and school access
The digital package reaches beyond watching a game live. The announcement includes media day broadcasts and video podcasts alongside highlights, replays and original programs. Its scope covers all 21 conference-sponsored sports, with the nationally televised events handled separately.
The platform’s two tiers remain unpriced. Monthly and annual plans are promised, but the announcement supplies no amount for comparison.
Schools will also be able to put their games on their own websites, according to the conference. A viewer will still need a valid MW App subscription to watch there. Finding a game through the university’s site would provide another entrance to the coverage, rather than free access around the subscription.