The NCAA Tournament is staying with CBS and adding a new television partner.
The NCAA has agreed to a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal to televise the Men’s NCAA Tournament through 2024. On Wednesday, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee passed a recommendation to expand the NCAA Tournament from 65 to 68 teams, with the decision to be reviewed next Thursday.
There is flexibility in this deal to accommodate further expansion.
Under the deal, CBS, TNT, TBS and Tru TV will air first and second round games of the NCAA Tournament nationally. CBS and Turner will split the Sweet Sixteen.
Through 2015, the Elite Eight and Final Four will remain on CBS. Starting in 2016, CBS and Turner will split the Elite Eight, and the Final Four and National Championship Game will alternate between CBS and TBS.
2016 will mark the first year the Final Four and National Championship Game have aired on cable. TBS will air the National Championship Game five times (2016, ’18, ’20, ’22 and ’24), while CBS will air the game nine times (2011, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17, ’19, ’21, and ’23).
ESPN, which was outbid by CBS/Turner for rights to the event, released this statement on Thursday: “We made an aggressive bid and believe our combination of TV distribution, digital capabilities, season-long coverage and year-round marketing would have served the interests of the NCAA and college fans very well. We remain committed to our unparalleled coverage of more than 1,200 men’s and women’s college basketball games each season.”
(NCAA, ESPN)
