Turner Networks will air
more than 40 NCAA Men’s College
Basketball Tournament games beginning
next month as part of its new TV
deal for March Madness.
For the first time, every game of the
three-week college basketball tournament
will be available live on broadcast
or basic-cable TV under the $10.8
billion, 14-year TV, digital and wireless
rights deal between the NCAA, Turner
Sports and CBS Sports announced last
year.
TNT will air 12 games, including second-
and third-round matchups, while
TBS will air a total of 16 contests, including
games in the second and third
round and the Sweet 16, said the Turner
officials.
TruTV will air the tournament’s first
four play-in games, now considered to
be the first round, beginning March
15, as well as 13 total games during the
first and second round. The network
will also air the Reese’s College All-Star
Game on Friday, April 1, as part of the
NCAA Final Four Sunday.
CBS will air 26 games throughout the
tournament, including the Final Four
semifinals and April 4 national championship
game. The broadcaster will also
air second-round, third-round, Sweet
16 and Elite 8 contests, according to the
network.
Starting in 2016, the regional finals
will be split by CBS and Turner, and
the Final Four and the title tilt will alternate
yearly between CBS and Turner’s
TBS.
