Remember last year when Turner took over March Madness Live and it was so complicated to authenticate to get the free streaming of the NCAA Tournament? And it got to the point where some gave up while others got so frustrated, they decided to pay the $3.99 fee even though they could have watched for free?
Well, Turner Sports has decided to bring back the authentication process, but simplify it. This year, there won’t be a fee. Games that air on TBS, TNT and truTV will require authentication. Games on CBS won’t. And there will be a four hour preview option that won’t require registration.
March Madness Live will launch on mobiles and tablets in March (naturally) and will be available for download for both Apple and Google platforms.
All 67 games of the NCAA Tournament including the Final Four™ will be streamed on March Madness Live
Let us take a look at what’s in store this year for March Madness Live.
NCAA March Madness Live® to Offer Fans an Unprecedented Multi-Screen Viewing Experience for the 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
NCAA March Madness Live® App Available in App Store and Google Play in March
NCAA March Madness Live® will provide college basketball fans with unparalleled multi-screen digital access to the 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Produced by Turner Sports, NCAA March Madness Live® will offer free streaming across all devices to pay TV subscribers throughout the tournament and is designed to be either a primary or companion viewing experience available to fans across a collection of screens including online, mobile and tablet. NCAA March Madness Live® will feature social and interactive components to provide portable access to the tournament and – in partnership between the NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS Sports – will launch from www.ncaa.com/marchmadness, www.CBSSports.com and www.bleacherreport.com, along with Google Play and the App Store beginning in March.
NCAA March Madness Live® will provide an unlimited viewing experience throughout Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ coverage of the entire tournament. Fans will have access to all games on TNT, TBS and truTV on the digital device of their choice, by logging in with their TV service provider information, and all games broadcast on CBS with no registration required. As an added feature, NCAA March Madness Live® will offer a preview option that allows up to four hours of live game streaming that does not require viewer registration.
For the third consecutive year, all 67 games of the tournament will again be available live on TV in their entirety across CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV.
“Whether viewing on a big-screen TV or a computer, tablet, or smart phone, fans can enjoy the incomparable excitement of March Madness anywhere they are and however they choose,” said Matthew Hong, senior vice president and general manager of operations, for Turner Sports. “With Turner’s commitment to TV Everywhere, passionate fans can use NCAA March Madness Live® as either a first- or second-screen interactive experience to enjoy all 67 tournament games.”
“NCAA March Madness Live® provides our membership and fan bases with the most up to date coverage of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship so everyone can catch all of the action at any time and from any place,” said Keith Martin, managing director of championships and alliances. “We’re in an age now where fans want access to games simultaneously and they want to chat about what they’ve seen. NCAA March Madness Live® is a great resource for fans who want to keep up with the games while they are at an arena, at home or from any location.”
This year’s NCAA March Madness Live® product offers several enhancements including:
- Redesigned for optimization across platforms – With improved navigation, NCAA March Madness Live® will have a completely new look and feel while also providing users with the same levels of access and a consistent user experience across all devices
- Available on new devices – NCAA March Madness Live® will be available on more devices than ever before including smart phones and tablets with the Android 4.0+ operating system, the iPhone 5 and iPad mini
- NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge – The official bracket game of March Madness includes new designs and feature enhancements on smart phones and tablets, along with expanded social functionality across all devices allowing fans to join groups, share brackets and chat with friends and other passionate fans via Facebook
- NCAA March Madness Social Arena – A forum to extend the conversation surrounding all of the games within NCAA March Madness Live® products, fans can follow game and tournament tweets, participate in fan chats, watch the games and keep a pulse on all the key moments of every game via the NCAA March Madness Social Arena. Fans can participate in the social commentary by using the hashtag #marchmadness
Additionally, NCAA March Madness Live® will once again provide video highlights, full game replays and real-time game alerts, as well as fan-favorite features, including live game scoring, real-time tournament brackets, personal channel lineup features, live stats, live social companion views and the return of the “Boss Button.” Fans will have direct access to live radio broadcasts, courtesy of Westwood One/Dial Global Radio Network, for all 67 games across the collection of digital products.
There you have it.
