CBSSports.com, Facebook Teaming Up for NCAA Bracket

NCAA-Bracket Application Will Allow Users to Enter Tournament Picks, Set Up Groups

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/7/2008 2:58:00 PM

CBSSports.com is developing and will host an NCAA-bracket application on Facebook.

The application will allow users to enter their picks for who will make it through the 2008 NCAA Tournament and see who their friends picked, as well. Users will also be able to set up their own groups to see who among their group of friends, classmates or coworkers had the most correct picks.

According to CBS Sports, the goal is to drive viewers and visitors to CBS Sports franchises such as CBSSports.com and CSTV. Links to CBS coverage of the event will be featured in the application.

"Working with Facebook -- an extremely viral social utility with a tremendous core of both college students and alumni -- was a natural solution as we looked to build a brackets application around the most popular college-sports tournament," said Jason Kint, senior vice president and general manager of CBSSports.com, in a statement. "This presents an ideal opportunity to extend the CBSSports.com brand to yet another platform and one containing a very engaged and loyal audience."

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had NCAA Tournament brackets, but the integration with a major sponsor is. In 2007, more than 2.6 million Facebook users participated in a bracket group similar to the one CBS is developing.

A number of television networks, including Fox News Channel and ABC, have developed applications on Facebook to try to drive visitors to their own sites or to create publicity for their shows. ABC News sponsors polls on the site, allows users to show support for politicians and encourages users to “follow” their political correspondents on the campaign trail.