CBS Offering March Madness On-Demand and in HD

CBS Sports, CBS College Sports Network to Produce Highlights from 63 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament Games

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/25/2008 6:13:00 PM

CBS is teaming up with a number of cable operators to offer HD video-on-demand content from the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

CBS Sports and CBS College Sports Network (currently CSTV) will produce highlight packages for 63 tournament games, beginning with the first round Thursday, March 20. The network will also produce NCAA March Madness Highlights, which will recap the day’s action in college basketball, as well as historical vignettes, dubbed NCAA March Madness Memories. The clip packages will be available free-of-charge through participating cable operators’ VOD platforms.

“Video-on-demand and high-definition content are top priorities for MSOs,” CBS Sports executive vice president and executive producer Tony Petitti said in a statement. “CBS College Sports Network and CBS Sports are delivering exclusive, compelling programming that has never been available before, as well as leading the way in serving fans with more options, access and control. We’re thrilled that operators are taking advantage of the opportunity to provide their customers with the coverage they crave for the NCAA Tournament.”

Comcast and Bresnan Communications are the first cable operators to carry the March Madness VOD programming.