Bodenheimer Says ESPN Would "Love" To Televise March Madness

Bodenheimer Discusses Possibility Of ESPN Teaming With CBS For March Madness

ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer recently participated in a Q&A with COLLEGE HOOPS JOURNAL's Matt Norlander, and he said the net would "love to get back into" broadcasting the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Bodenheimer: "Perhaps with CBS, somehow. They're a fine company and we do many things with them, like sharing the Masters. We love college hoops. It's a staple at ESPN for a quarter, and it's a great tournament." When asked about competition, Bodenheimer said, "People use the word 'access,' and a number of people at ESPN have access -- and it’s at an all-time high. Our users are getting more access, too. People think the Internet is going to kill television, just like they used to think television would kill movie theaters. ... The business has continued to grow and ESPN has grown along with it. That’s why we’ve entered all these mediums and we’ve got the number one sports site, that’s why we’re in the print space with ESPN: The Magazine. That’s why we’re in the audio business." When asked about ESPN's studio that will open early next year as part of L.A. Live, "That studio space is going to give us an opportunity to produce other shows there, which haven’t determined what that will be. It will likely be activity for ESPN Deportes, given Los Angeles’ huge Hispanic market." He also reiterated that the late "SportsCenter" will originate from the L.A. studio. Bodenheimer added he sees a "lot of growth internationally" for the net over the next 10 years (COLLEGEHOOPSJOURNAL.com, 12/1).