Audacy’s “CBS Sports Radio” network will rebrand as “Infinity Sports Radio” on Monday, April 15.
As first reported by Barrett Sports Media, distributor Westwood One informed stations that they must cease using the CBS Sports Radio name in any form on-air, online, social media, and in sales materials no later than April 15. We have confirmed the upcoming change and can add that it is being caused by a clause in the Entercom/CBS Radio merger that was to originally see the “CBS Sports Radio” brand be dropped at the end of 2020.
CBS Sports Radio launched in January 2013 as a partnership between CBS Radio and Cumulus Media. The partnership would then be restructured with CBS taking full ownership and Cumulus’ Westwood One managing the syndication distribution and ad sales. Through its purchase of CBS Radio, Audacy became the owner of the network with a clause that a rebrand would need to take place by the end of 2020. At the end of 2019, the network removed the CBS Eye Device from its branding and marketing materials.
The “Infinity” name has been part of the CBS Radio/Audacy holdings since Westinghouse acquired Infinity Broadcasting in 1996 and was resurrected as the operating name for CBS’ radio division briefly in the early 2000s. The trademark has been kept alive as a streaming Classic Hits station on Radio.com and later the Audacy App. Audacy registered InfinitySportsRadio.com on Thursday, April 4.
No programming lineup changes are accompanying the relaunch.
