CBS Beefs Up Multiplatform Offerings

NCAA March Madness on Demand Gets New Features; Big Brother: ‘Til Death Do You Part to Launch on MediaFLO Mobile-TV Service

By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/11/2008 8:57:00 PM

CBS made two announcements Monday highlighting its expansion into alternative delivery platforms.

Its sports-focused Web site, CBSSports.com, will now offer streaming video of all 63 games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship through the “NCAA March Madness on Demand” service (with the exception of the opening-round game March 18), including the championship game.

And CBS Mobile is once again creating a dedicated channel for the MediaFLO mobile-TV service, currently distributed by Verizon Wireless, that will provide round-the-clock coverage of the action on the network’s Big Brother: ‘Til Death Do You Part reality show.

The March Madness on Demand video player was first launched in 2003 and has traditionally provided live video of the first 56 games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship as they are broadcast by CBS Sports, with local broadcasts being subject to blackouts. Now in partnership with CBS Sports, CSTV and the NCAA, the service will offer more of the tournament.

Launching in early March, NCAA March Madness on Demand will be available at NCAA.com as well as via MMOD links on CBSSports.com and CSTV.com, and will offer a wider screen (640 by 360 pixels), along with additional features such as live scoreboards and a "Boss Button." CBSSports.com will again produce a live halftime show for MMOD featuring CBSSports.com original-video host Jason Horowitz.

"In its sixth year, March Madness on Demand continues to maximize the network's NCAA bundled rights across all platforms of CBS Corp. with the wide distribution of CBS Sports' game coverage, promoted by CSTV and available via CBSSports.com and NCAA.com," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports, in a statement. "The expansion, to include all 63 games, will enhance the total March Madness experience of college-basketball fans everywhere."

CBS Mobile is repeating the formula it followed last year for Big Brother with a bonus FLO TV channel that provides a real-time, 24/7 live feed of activity from inside the Big Brother house. The special Big Brother: ‘Til Death Do You Part channel will air hundreds of hours of live programming from Feb. 12 through the season finale. The subscription-based FLO TV service is available in more than 50 cities to Verizon Wireless customers with compatible phones.

“We’re very pleased to offer Big Brother fans a convenient way to ‘live’ with the Big Brother house guests on their cell phones 24/7,” said Cyriac Roeding, executive vice president of CBS Mobile, in a statement. “The new channel provides yet another way for fans to participate in the show without missing a beat when they are on the go.”