This coming from the CBS/Turner Sports NCAA Tournament consortium. Starting next year, TBS will get a bigger role in March Madness. It will split the Regional Finals with CBS and for the next two years, air the National Semifinal games while CBS airs the National Championship Game. Then in 2016, TBS will both the Final Four and National Championship. CBS will get the events the following year and then the two networks will alternate carrying Final Four weekend until 2024 when the current TV contract ends.
Something like this had been expected. So 2013 marks the end of CBS’ 32 year run of airing the Final Four and National Championship exclusively. When Turner signed on as a partner in 2011, it said it wanted to air the Final Four, not just take the early rounds, so it will finally achieve that goal next season.
At least for 2014 and 2015, I would expect the announcing team of Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr to remain on the Final Four and National Championship with Turner making a tweak when it gets the weekend exclusively in 2016.
Here’s the press release.
CBS SPORTS AND TURNER SPORTS ANNOUNCE PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE FOR 2014 AND 2015 NCAA FINAL FOUR® AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
TBS to Televise NCAA FINAL FOUR® National Semi-Final Games and
CBS Sports to Broadcast National Championship Games
CBS and TBS to Split ‘Elite Eight’ Coverage Beginning Next Year
TBS to Televise 2016 FINAL FOUR and National Championship Game and
CBS to Broadcast 2017 FINAL FOUR and National Championship Game, Alternating Through 2024CBS Sports and Turner Sports have announced the programming schedule for their exclusive joint television coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in 2014 and 2015. In each of the two years, TBS will televise the NCAA Final Four national semi-finals and CBS will broadcast the NCAA National Championship game.
Additionally, beginning in 2014 through 2024, coverage of the Regional Semi-finals and Regional Finals games will be split by TBS and CBS. Earlier round coverage of the tournament will continue to be televised across four national television networks – CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV with the First Four® airing exclusively on truTV.
In 2010, Turner Sports and CBS Sports entered into a 14-year exclusive media rights partnership with the NCAA to present the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship from 2011-2024. As part of that agreement, CBS Sports and Turner Sports will alternate coverage of the Final Four national semi-final games and National Championship game between TBS and CBS. The rotation begins on TBS with the network televising the Final Four and National Championship in 2016 with CBS broadcasting the games in 2017.
“Since the inception of our partnership, I don’t think we could have envisioned such a seamless collaboration between our two companies both in front of and behind the cameras,” said David Levy, president of Sales, Distribution and Sports, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. “Coming off another incredible year of strong ratings and exciting games, the popularity of the NCAA Tournament and Final Four continues to resonate with fans across the country. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to televise the Final Four national semi-final games and two of the Elite Eight games on TBS beginning next year, and for the network to televise its first National Championship game in 2016.”
“From the beginning, our partnership with Turner Sports has exceeded every one of our expectations,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “Today’s news represents another win-win arrangement that continues to help us extend the reach of this marquee property by combining the resources of our two organizations. As we have done since 1982, CBS is pleased to showcase the National Championship game in 2014 and 2015.”
Turner Sports and CBS Sports recently concluded their third year of exclusive coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 2013 tournament across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV was the most-watched NCAA Tournament in 19 years, averaging 10.7 million total viewers, up 11% from last year’s 9.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
That’s all for now.
