With the tournament just around the corner, Turner Sports has stepped up its game and will introduce an array of redesigned and enhanced features with the 2014 version of NCAA March Madness Live that can be accessed from more entry points than ever before.
NCAA March Madness Live will sport a new bracket layout, a redesigned GameCenter experience, a fresh Bracket Challenge game and enhanced social features, and will be available to consumers for the first time on the Windows Store, as well as the App Store and Google Play.
Developed in partnership with the NCAA, Turner Sports and CBS Sports, NCAA March Madness Live will offer unlimited live streaming coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship across all screens, including online, mobile and tablets to pay TV subscribers throughout the entire 67-game tourney, which tips off on truTV with the First Four on March 18-19.
Fans will have access to all games airing live on TNT, TBS and truTV by logging in with their TV service provider information, and all games broadcast on CBS with no registration required. NCAA March Madness Live will offer a temporary preview period giving fans access to live game streaming before login is required.
This year, NCAA March Madness Live will launch from more platforms than ever before including www.ncaa.com/marchmadness, www.CBSSports.com, www.bleacherreport.com, the App Store, Google Play and the Windows Store beginning in March. Additionally, fans can watch games via live streaming on TNT, TBS and truTV’s digital platforms, as well as participating TV provider websites.
The digital destination for streaming video, highlights, stats, news and social engagement throughout the championship, NCAA March Madness Live will provide live coverage for the entire event. That includes for the first time the three distinct feeds of both games of the Final Four National Semifinals from AT&T Stadium in north Texas on Saturday, April 5. Users can gain access to unprecedented viewing options – live streaming of the traditional game coverage provided on TBS, along with streams of the team-specific presentations offered via TNT and truTV.
Additionally, NCAA March Madness Live will once again provide video highlights, full game replays and excitement alerts, as well as fan-favorite elements, notably live game scoring, real-time championship brackets, personal channel lineup features, real-time game alerts for their favorite school and the “Boss Button.” Fans will have direct access to live radio broadcasts, courtesy of Westwood One, for all 67 games across the collection of digital products.
From an advertising perspective, NCAA March Madness Live will have three co-presenting sponsors: NCAA Corporate Champions AT&T, Capital One and Coke Zero.
Moreover, Buick, Capital One and Coke Zero will sponsor the NCAA March Madness Live App for iPhone and iPad, while AT&T, Infiniti and LG Electronics USA will support the Android apps. AT&T will also serve as presenting sponsor for the Windows app. Buick, Infiniti and LG Electronics are NCAA Corporate Partners.
2014 NCAA March Madness Live Enhancements
- Expansion to new devices – NCAA March Madness Live will be available on more devices than ever before including – for the first time – Windows 8.1 and the Windows Phone 8 operating system as well as iPhone, iPad and Android 4.0+ operating system.
- New Bracket Layout – A completely new interface for smartphones and tablets, including more views and functionality and the ability to zoom in on a particular matchup, go directly to live game coverage or view the upcoming schedule with times and broadcast networks.
- GameCenter – Redesigned this year, GameCenter serves as a destination for live game streaming, pre-game matchup analysis, live in-game stats, key social moments and fan chat.
- Capital One NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge – The official bracket game of March Madness including new designs and feature enhancements on desktop, smartphones 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.
- Coke Zero 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 tweets, view Instagram photos and – for the first time – Vine videos. Fans can also participate in chats and keep a pulse on all the key moments of every game. Fans can participate in the social commentary by using the hashtag #marchmadness.
- TV Schedule – New this year, TV schedule grids will be available digitally to allow fans to plan their day around the championship schedule. The programming guide – easily accessible via the game schedule or bracket - provides the round, date, time and network for each game.
- Tournament News – For the first time, fans will have direct access to the latest tournament news and updates – including highlights, recaps and additional information each day throughout the championship – directly via NCAA March Madness Live.
