Reported today by John Ourand in this week’s Sports Business Journal, Turner Sports will produce three separate versions of the NCAA Men’s Final Four™ in 2014 and in 2015. Earlier this year, Turner announced that it would carry the NCAA Division I Men’s National Semifinals with CBS airing the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship this and next season, then alternate carrying the Final Four™ and Championship Game starting in 2016.
So this means TBS would be the main channel carrying the national broadcast (most likely called by Jim Nantz, Greg Anthony, Steve Kerr and Tracy Wolfson). TNT and truTV would air team-centric productions. Let’s say Duke and Kansas are in a semifinal. TBS would be the national broadcast. TNT would carry a Duke-slanted broadcast with truTV airing a Kansas-centric production. Turner Sports would hire commentators with connections to each school for the TNT and truTV airings.
In addition, there will be separate halftime shows on TNT and truTV, but each would simulcast the TBS pre and postgame shows.
2014 will mark the first year that the Final Four™ will be on cable television and Turner wants to mark the occasion as a big event for its networks.
No official announcement on this as of yet, but we expect one very soon. More details will be forthcoming when they become available to Fang’s Bites.
CBS and Turner Sports are in the fourth year of a 14-year agreement to carry the NCAA Tournament on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
When CBS airs the NCAA Championship, there will be just one broadcast and no school-centric channels.
