A year-long study by the Nielsen Company revealed that Western Kentucky athletics generated $44 million in total media value during the 2023-24 athletic season, the first year of the new Conference USA television deal with ESPN and CBS Sports.

“Our nationally televised games generated invaluable exposure for not only our respective sport programs and student-athletes but also our university, our sponsorship partners, Bowling Green and Warren County,” WKU Athletics Director Todd Stewart said in a news release. “We all realize the responsibility our athletics department has while being viewed by so many as the front porch of the university. Appearing on national television 18 times and generating $44 million in media exposure value validates the importance and relevance of these games for our university and many constituents.”

Approximately $41 million was generated from television brand exposure, while nearly $3 million came from earned media and owned social media value throughout the year.

Nielsen’s proprietary data measures audience value, with the final media exposure value determined by how much an entity would need to spend in advertising dollars to receive the same amount of exposure that was generated.

During 2023-24, the Hilltoppers appeared on national television 18 different times, as well as mainstream streaming platforms 168 times:

FOX (1 game)

Football at Ohio State

TBS (1)

Men’s Basketball vs. Marquette (NCAA Tournament)

ESPN (2)

Football at Louisiana Tech

Football vs. Old Dominion (Famous Toastery Bowl)

ESPNU (5)

Football at Troy

Football at Jacksonville State

Football vs. Liberty

Men’s Basketball vs. Middle Tennessee

Women’s Basketball vs. Middle Tennessee (first nationally televised game since 2016)

CBS Sports Network (9)

Football vs. South Florida

Football vs. Middle Tennessee

Men’s Basketball vs. Liberty

Men’s Basketball vs. Jacksonville State

Men’s Basketball vs. Sam Houston

Men’s Basketball vs. UTEP

Men’s Basketball vs. Middle Tennessee (CUSA Semifinals)

Men’s Basketball vs. UTEP (CUSA Championship)

Softball vs. Liberty (CUSA Championship)

ESPN+ (154)

SEC Network+ (7)

Big Ten Network+ (5)

ACC Network+ (2)

WKU football will begin the 2024 season in primetime on ESPN at Alabama on Aug. 31. The Hilltoppers are also scheduled to play on ESPN2 twice, ESPNU and CBS Sports Network once during the 2024 football season.