NEW ORLEANS - The Sun Belt Conference will air football and basketball games throughout the 2016-17 season on the American Sports Network.  The announcement was made Wednesday.
    While games on ASN will be broadcasts on “over-the-air” and cable affiliates, they will also be available without blackout restrictions on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
    The partnership, made possible through a sublicense agreement with ESPN, allows for a minimum of eight football games and a minimum of 10 basketball games from the Sun Belt to be aired through ASN.
    The sublicense agreement reached by ESPN and ASN allows the Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned network to produce and distribute Sun Belt Conference games via Sinclair affiliate television stations and other over the air and cable stations nationwide.
    Sinclair Broadcast Group is the largest owner of television stations in the United States, currently owning or operating 173 television stations in 81 markets nationwide and having affiliations with all the major networks.
    The announcement Monday also comes with the announcement that the following Sun Belt football games will be part of the Sun Belt and ASN venture.