AT&T Remains Exclusive March Madness Wireless Provider For '10

AT&T VP/Consumer Advertising & Marketing Daryl Evans indicated that company "will remain the exclusive wireless phone distributor of all 63 games" of the '10 NCAA men's basketball tournament, according to Steve Donohue of CONTENTINOPLE. Evans yesterday appeared at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's MIXX conference in N.Y. and said that AT&T has extended its exclusive deal with CBS Sports and Flo TV to "distribute live March Madness games to its wireless customers." But Evans and CBSSports.com Senior VP & GM Jason Kint "declined to comment when asked if AT&T's exclusive deal ... extends beyond 2010." Evans said that he "hopes March Madness will remain an exclusive product for AT&T." He said during the panel, "We will try to negotiate exclusivity. That's in our best interests and our shareholders' best interests." Evans added that AT&T "hopes that its exclusive rights to distribute mobile video from all 63 games will prompt college basketball fans that don't subscribe to AT&T to switch from their current providers" (CONTENTINOPLE.com, 9/21).