CBS was the largest radio network in the U.S. when it began regular television broadcasts in 1941. Known colloquially as the "Tiffany network," CBS aired famous TV series like "M*A*S*H" and "All in the Family." As of 2011, CBS was the highest-rated overall network thanks to a roster of procedural crime dramas such as "CSI," "NCIS" and their spin-offs. In 1995, CBS was acquired by Westinghouse, which sold the network to Viacom in 2000.
The National College Sports Network was launched in 2002 as an independent national cable channel. Less than a year later, the channel was renamed College Sports Television (CSTV). At the time, CSTV was the first independent cable channel available nationwide on the DirecTV satellite television system. In 2005, CBS acquired CSTV for $325 million. It was subsequently integrated into CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS network.
In early 2008, CSTV was changed to the CBS College Sports Network. The focus remained on college sports, including live coverage of hundreds of college games each year. The intention, according to CBS, was to bring the famed CBS brand to the cable channel. CBS developed programming just for the network, including a nightly news show.
In April 2011, CBS announced CBS College Sports Network would once again be rebranded, this time as CBS Sports Network. According to CBS, the plan was to retain a focus on college sports in the short term, and eventually expand beyond college sports. According to CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus, this was "an important step in the evolution of CBS Sports, allowing us to create more programming opportunities and expand our viewer base." He said the name change was also meant to "position CBS Sports Network as a destination for all sports fans."