Continuing a buying spree that includes Tour de France, the Euro 2012 and ’14 Championships and Major League Soccer, TSN has announced that it has acquired the Canadian rights to the NCAA Tournament. If I remember right, the NCAA Tournament had been on The Score and TSN will now be able to show the games. As part of this new deal, TSN will produce its own pre and postgame shows and do live cut-ins, similar to the way CBS used to produce the Tournament. We have the press release from TSN.
TSN to Broadcast 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
– TSN and TSN2 to deliver live NCAA® MARCH MADNESS® coverage beginning March 17 –
Toronto, ON (February 24, 2011) – TSN announced today it will have live coverage of this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, commonly referred to as NCAA® MARCH MADNESS®. Complete coverage of the 2011 tournament is available to Canadian fans on TSN and TSN2 beginning Thursday, March 17 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
“It’s hard to find an event with as much drama and excitement as NCAA® MARCH MADNESS®,” said Stewart Johnston, President, TSN. “We are thrilled to add this marquee property to the TSN and TSN2 schedules. Bringing the NCAA tournament to TSN is another example of our commitment to giving Canadians the biggest events in sports.”
TSN will produce an original studio show for pre- and post-game analysis, along with live look-ins to various games.
All games on TSN and TSN2 will be broadcast nationally in High Definition.
This agreement is the latest in a series of recently announced major acquisitions for TSN.
And that does it.
