What's Happening?
The Mountain West Conference has announced a new partnership with streaming technology company Kiswe to launch MW+, a direct-to-consumer streaming service. This service will provide live coverage of Mountain West events not available through the conference's
linear broadcast partners. The unique aspect of MW+ is its revenue model, which rewards schools based on the number of subscriptions they generate. A majority of each subscription purchased through a member school's dedicated page will directly support that institution, creating a scalable revenue opportunity aligned with fan engagement. This model is a response to the changing landscape of college sports, where the conference's biggest draws are moving to the Pac-12, leaving schools like Air Force, Nevada, and UNLV as full-time members.
Why It's Important?
The introduction of MW+ represents a significant shift in how college sports conferences generate revenue and engage with fans. By incentivizing schools to drive subscriptions, the Mountain West Conference is aligning financial rewards with fan engagement, potentially leading to increased investment in marketing and fan outreach by member schools. This model could serve as a blueprint for other conferences looking to maximize revenue in an increasingly competitive media landscape. Additionally, it highlights the growing importance of digital platforms in sports broadcasting, as traditional linear television deals face challenges from streaming services.
What's Next?
As MW+ launches, schools within the Mountain West Conference will likely focus on marketing efforts to maximize subscriptions and revenue. The success of this model could influence other conferences to adopt similar strategies, potentially leading to a broader shift in how college sports are monetized. The conference will also continue to rely on its existing television deals with CBS, Fox, and The CW for the majority of its media revenue, but MW+ could become an important supplementary income stream.
