Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen a few previews of the CBS/Turner partnership for the NCAA Tournament. I’ll write a column on how I think this will go, but the first real indication of what we’ll see between the two will come this Sunday during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS. As in the past, Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony, Seth Davis, Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will all be on hand for the announcements. But for the first time, we’ll see TNT’s Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith on CBS’ air discussing the selections as the brackets are filled.
And if you’re away from a TV and online, the entire show will be streamed online at March Madness on Demand. Let’s take a look at the joint CBS/Turner press release.
CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS BEGIN “ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR” WITH “NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW” ON SUNDAY, MARCH 13 ON CBS
CBS Sports Broadcasts Exclusive, Live First-time Announcement of 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Field of 68
Turner Sports’ Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith Added to Selection ShowCBS Sports and Turner Sports begin the ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR as CBS Sports broadcasts the exclusive, live first-time announcement of the pairings for the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on Sunday, March 13 (6:00-7:00 PM, ET) during the NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW.
Turner Sports’ Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith join CBS Sports’ Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony and Seth Davis to host the NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg join via satellite from the site of the Big Ten Championship at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. In addition, Gene Smith, Chairman of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, joins live from Indianapolis, Ind. to discuss the bracket and the committee’s selection process.
Additionally, CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION SHOW will be streamed live on NCAA March Madness on Demand (MMOD) available at NCAA.com, CBSSports.com, and SI.com.
Game coverage for the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship begins on Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16 with the FIRST FOUR on truTV, and the tournament concludes with the National Championship game Monday, April 4 on CBS. Through Turner Sports’ and CBS Sports’ new 14- year agreement with the NCAA, fans will be able to watch all of the games live in their entirety across four national television networks: CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV, for the first time in the tournament’s 73-year history.
And that is it for now.
